Lily Loat

Lily Loat (21 January 1880 – 16 August 1958) was a British anti-vaccination activist. She was the Secretary of the National Anti-Vaccination League for nearly 50 years. Vaccination is almost universally accepted, but groups who are opposed to vaccination quote Loat and her 1951 book "The Truth about Vaccination and Immunization".

Lily Loat
Born21 January 1880
Battersea
Died16 August 1958(1958-08-16) (aged 78)
Kingswood, Surrey
NationalityUnited Kingdom
OccupationSecretary of the Anti Vaccination League
Known forAnti vaccination activist

Life

Loat was born in Battersea in about 1880 and her father was John Loat. She was head pupil at Tiffin Girl's School in Kingston-on-Thames. She took shorthand lessons and this skill gained her a position at the National Anti-Vaccination League which had been founded in 1896. Loat had no strong views on vaccination. She was working for the league's secretary answering correspondence and during this time she became a strong supporter of the league. When the secretary resigned she was soon confirmed as the replacement secretary at the beginning of 1909.[1]

The league became her life and she knew a lot about the subject of vaccination and the possible hazards associated. She was invited to speak internationally in the 1920s and the 1930s and she would answer correspondence on the subject. She enjoyed debating with critics.[1]

The Leagues journal The Vaccination Inquirer and Health Review had been published since 1880.[2] Lote took on the editorship of the journal in 1932.[1] In 1951 she published The Truth about Vaccination and Immunization. This was a small book that itemised the arguments against vaccination. It is still re-issued.[3]

Loat was also opposed to vivisection.[4]

Loat wanted to retire but no replacement could be found. This was a disappointment to her.[1] Loat died in Kingswood in Surrey in 1958. She was working for the National Anti-Vaccination League whilst in hospital during her final illness. She was still the editor of the league's journal- the journal's final issue was in 1972.[1] In 2020 her 1951 books was still being quoted as authorities by a group opposed to vaccination and the discovery of smallpox vaccine by Edward Jenner.[5]

References
  1. Kramer, Molly Baer (2004). "Loat, Lily (1879/80–1958), anti-vaccination activist". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/50749. Retrieved 2020-09-14. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  2. The Vaccination Inquirer and Health Review. 1880.
  3. Nguyen, Trung; Loat, Lily (2018-01-19). The Truth about Vaccination and Immunization. EnCognitive.com. ISBN 978-1-927091-36-4.
  4. Aryan Path. 1956.
  5. "Edward Jenner's questionable vaccination experiments". Vaccine Side Effects. Retrieved 2020-11-04.
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