Some shoppers were surprised to find anti-vaccination messages hidden in items they bought at Babies "R" Us in Lynnwood recently.
The store says it's trying to find out who is putting the notes into product boxes during the busy holiday shopping season.
“I was shocked and I was really concerned that people who don't know enough about science might actually take it seriously,” said Hillarie Windish, a mother of two.
She was visiting the Lynnwood Babies "R" Us last weekend and bought a few ornament-making kits for her children. When she got home and opened up the box, she found a very unwanted accessory, a card questioning the safety of vaccines. It directs people to a website and a “vaccine info hotline.”
“They’re targeting a really vulnerable population of people,” said Windish, a scientist with a Ph.D. who has helped develop vaccines.
KING 5 is not revealing the anti-vaccination group's website or phone number out of concern for spreading misinformation. The American Academy of Pediatrics says vaccines save lives and are the most significant medical innovation of our time. The organization says claims that immunizations are unsafe or cause autism "have been disproven by a robust body of medical literature."
A spokesperson for Babies "R" Us says its Lynnwood team removed several of the cards from their store over the past few weeks.
"It is frustrating that an individual is using our store to distribute these materials and we will be working to identify anyone involved,” the company said in a statement.
“Talk to your pediatrician about what's appropriate for your kids. Don't listen to these websites,” said Windish.
