Jenny McCarthy, currently a co-host on the daytime talk show The View, asked her Twitter followers on air to answer the question “what is the most important trait you look for in a mate?” and to tweet their answers with the hashtag #JennyAsks. The response? Overwhelmingly and resoundingly “not someone who is anti-vaccine,” criticizing Jenny’s strong campaign against vaccinating children.

McCarthy’s campaign against vaccination stems from her belief that vaccines are linked to autism; her son was diagnosed with autism in 2005. She clarifies that it’s not just anti-vaccine, but more “anti-toxin,” and that toxins such as mercury contained in the vaccines can harm children. Regardless, the backlash on Twitter was swift and insulting, and also timely, given the recent outbreak of measles in New York City due to anti-vaccination campaigners.

What is the most important personality trait you look for in a mate? Reply using #JennyAsks

— Jenny McCarthy (@JennyMcCarthy) March 13, 2014

@JennyMcCarthy Someone who takes the advice of medical professionals and vaccinates their children. #JennyAsks

— Amy Ellis (@amesplaza) March 14, 2014

Someone who respects that science isn't on some secret malicious crusade to screw us over and that vaccinations save lives #JennyAsks

— Scallywag (@ScallywagSprint) March 14, 2014

An ideal partner for me would be someone who didn't help reintroduce measles to New York by campaigning against vaccines #jennyasks

— Chris Magee (@_Chris_Magee_) March 14, 2014

McCarthy is not the only celebrity to believe in the link between vaccines and autism. Kristin Cavallari (from MTV’s The Hills) recently revealed on Fox’s The Independents that she will not vaccinate her son Camden, who is now 18 months. “You know what, I’ve read too many books about autism,” Cavallari says on the show. “There is a pediatric group that never vaccinated any of their children and they’ve never had one case of autism. And now, one in 88 boys is autistic, which is a really scary statistic.”

Image via Wikimedia Commons