Key facts
- Americans' trust in vaccines for deadly childhood diseases has fallen.
- 76% of Americans believe measles, mumps, and rubella vaccines are safe, down from 84% in May 2020.
- The U.S. has recorded over 3,000 confirmed measles infections this year, the most in 35 years.
- Average vaccination coverage for kindergarten children dropped to 92.5% last year.
- 19% of Americans approve of President Donald Trump's handling of the measles outbreak.
- Democrats are favored over Republicans by 45% to 25% on handling infectious diseases.
Americans' trust in vaccines for deadly childhood diseases, including measles, has fallen in recent years, a new Reuters/Ipsos poll found, signaling a troubling trend as the country experiences its worst measles outbreaks in decades.
The poll, completed on Monday, showed that while a bipartisan majority of the nation still backs vaccinating children against measles, the disease has resurged in recent years following a decline in vaccination rates. Some 76% of Americans believe vaccines against measles, mumps, and rubella are safe for children, down from 84% in a May 2020 Reuters/Ipsos poll. The decline in trust was most pronounced among Republicans.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order in August aimed at reducing the number of immunizations on the federal childhood vaccination schedule from 17 to 11. His top health official, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime anti-vaccine activist, has sought to overhaul U.S. vaccine policy.
The U.S. has tallied more than 3,000 confirmed measles infections this year, the most in 35 years, with outbreaks occurring in Pennsylvania, Utah, and South Carolina. Pennsylvania announced three measles-related deaths in recent weeks. Average vaccination coverage among kindergarten children dropped last year to 92.5%, below the 95% level experts say is necessary for herd immunity.
Only 19% of Americans approve of Trump's handling of the measles outbreak, while 52% disapprove. Registered voters picked Democrats over Republicans by 45% to 25% when asked which party has a better approach to stopping infectious diseases. The poll surveyed 1,143 U.S. adults and had a margin of error of 3 percentage points.