▁The ▁New ▁England ▁Anti - Comp uls ory ▁V acc ination ▁League ▁formed ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 2 , ▁and ▁the ▁Anti - V acc ination ▁League ▁of ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 5 . ▁T act ics ▁in ▁the ▁US ▁largely ▁followed ▁those ▁used ▁in ▁England . ▁V acc ination ▁in ▁the ▁US ▁was ▁reg ulated ▁by ▁individual ▁states , ▁in ▁which ▁there ▁followed ▁a ▁pro gression ▁of ▁comp ulsion , ▁opposition , ▁and ▁repe al ▁similar ▁to ▁that ▁in ▁England . ▁Although ▁generally ▁organized ▁on ▁a ▁state - by - state ▁basis , ▁the ▁v acc ination ▁controvers y ▁reached ▁the ▁US ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 5 . ▁There , ▁in ▁the ▁case ▁of ▁Jacob son ▁v . ▁Massachusetts , ▁the ▁court ▁ruled ▁that ▁states ▁have ▁the ▁authority ▁to ▁require ▁v acc ination ▁against ▁small po x ▁during ▁a ▁small po x ▁ep ide mic . ▁ ▁John ▁Pit ca ir n , ▁the ▁wealth y ▁founder ▁of ▁the ▁Pitts burgh ▁Pl ate ▁G lass ▁Company ▁( now ▁P PG ▁Indust ries ), ▁emer ged ▁as ▁a ▁major ▁financi er ▁and ▁leader ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁anti - v acc ination ▁movement . ▁On ▁March ▁ 5 , ▁ 1 9 0 7 , ▁in ▁Harris burg , ▁Pennsylvania , ▁he ▁delivered ▁an ▁address ▁to ▁the ▁Committee ▁on ▁Public ▁Health ▁and ▁San itation ▁of ▁the ▁Pennsylvania ▁General ▁Assembly ▁critic izing ▁v acc ination . ▁He ▁later ▁spons ored ▁the ▁National ▁Anti - V acc ination