The word that is emotional and intended to persuade the reader that not vaccinating children is evil is:
A. culprit
Culprit, according to the context, means the cause of a problem or misdeed. Therefore, the writer is saying that the reason or cause for the problem, which is undermining the public's safety, is an unproven claim that vaccinations cause autism.
Culprit: a person responsible for a crime, or the cause of a problem
Compromise: sacrificing something in order to obtain something back
Baseless: without foundation
Legitimate: authentic, true, valid