A new KFF-Washington Post partnership survey of oldsters explores their experiences with and views about vaccines for his or her kids, together with a glance into how they make choices associated to vaccines and the place they’re unsure or confused about their security.
The ballot comes because the Trump administration’s Well being and Human Companies Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. continues to query the childhood vaccine schedule and to boost doubts about vaccine security and effectiveness. Primarily based on interviews with greater than 2,700 mother and father, together with greater than 1,000 mother and father with kids beneath age 6 who’ve needed to make choices about vaccines within the post-COVID period, the survey’s findings might be featured in a sequence of Washington Publish tales and KFF studies analyzing the survey information.
The survey reveals giant majorities of oldsters view long-standing childhood vaccines corresponding to those to stop measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) and polio as secure and necessary, however are much less assured in seasonal vaccines for flu and particularly COVID-19.
Whereas most mother and father say they preserve their kids updated on beneficial childhood vaccines, about one in six (16%) say that they’ve delayed or skipped a minimum of one vaccine for his or her kids (aside from these for flu and COVID-19). These most definitely to report delaying or skipping vaccines embrace Republican mother and father (22%), particularly those that determine with President Trump’s “Make America Nice Once more” motion (25%), mother and father beneath age 35 (19%), and those that homeschool their little one (46%).
Amongst mother and father who delayed or skipped some vaccines for his or her kids, the most typical causes embrace considerations about unwanted side effects, an absence of belief in vaccine security, and a perception that not all advocate vaccines are mandatory.
That is the 37th survey within the KFF-Publish partnership courting again to 1995 that mixes survey analysis with in-depth journalism. The Publish as we speak revealed its overview of the results, whereas KFF revealed a report breaking down the data. The Publish plans to publish extra tales drawing on the survey outcomes.
Key themes from the survey embrace:
Most favor faculty vaccine necessities. A big majority (81%) of oldsters say that public colleges ought to require college students to get the measles and polio vaccines, with exceptions for medical and spiritual causes. Amongst all mother and father, 8% say that that they had requested an exemption to vaccine necessities so a toddler may attend faculty or daycare.
Many are unsure about false claims. When requested about a number of false claims about vaccines and measles, comparatively few mother and father imagine the unfaithful statements, however bigger shares are unsure what to imagine. One instance: Whereas comparatively few (9%) mother and father imagine the false declare that the MMR vaccine may cause autism in kids, practically half (48%) say they don’t know sufficient to say.
Views of oldsters with kids identified with autism spectrum dysfunction. Mother and father of youngsters with autism spectrum dysfunction are considerably extra possible than different mother and father to imagine the false declare that vaccines trigger autism (16% vs. 9%).
Confidence in federal well being businesses is shaky. Fewer than one in six (14%) mother and father say they’ve “lots” of confidence in authorities well being businesses just like the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC) and the Meals and Drug Administration to make sure the protection and effectiveness of vaccines, whereas half say they’ve solely slightly confidence (29%) or none in any respect (22%). Confidence is even decrease within the businesses’ talents to make choices based mostly on science somewhat than the views of company officers or to behave independently with out interference from exterior pursuits. 1 / 4 (26%) of oldsters total say that the CDC recommends too many vaccines.
Many mother and father are not sure about affect of federal vaccine coverage modifications. Few mother and father (11%) say they’ve heard “lots” about Secretary Kennedy’s modifications to federal vaccine coverage. When requested concerning the modifications’ affect, most say both that they don’t know or that the modifications gained’t make of a distinction on security, entry, and trade affect.
The survey additionally examines mother and father’ views of the protection testing for vaccines, the variety of beneficial vaccines, and experiences with the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine.
METHODOLOGY INFO:
The KFF/Washington Publish Survey of Mother and father contains interviews with a nationally consultant pattern of two,716 mother and father or authorized guardians of youngsters beneath age 18 within the U.S. The survey was performed between July 18-August 4, 2025, on-line, in English and Spanish, utilizing the Ipsos KnowledgePanel. The margin of sampling error together with the design impact for complete pattern of oldsters is plus or minus 2 share factors. For outcomes based mostly on different subgroups, the margin of sampling error could also be increased.
