TL;DR
Get health and wellness essentials delivered free — and shop member deals
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Access to Prime Big Deal Days deals on October 6–7
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
An August Annenberg Public Policy Center survey found 68% of U.S. adults said it was false that childhood vaccines such as MMR cause autism; 13% said it was true and 19% were unsure. Half viewed Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. unfavorably, and 69% either did not know or did not believe he recommends measles vaccination.
A national survey found that 68% of U.S. adults said it is false that childhood vaccines such as the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine cause autism, while half viewed Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. unfavorably. The Annenberg Public Policy Center survey also found widespread uncertainty about Kennedy’s position on measles vaccination, as U.S. measles cases and disputes over vaccine messaging remain in focus.
The August survey included 1,904 U.S. adults. Thirteen percent said vaccines cause autism and 19% were unsure. The share rejecting the claim was unchanged from 2022, according to the report, but below the 74% recorded in June 2021. The survey also found that just over half thought fully vaccinated children were about as likely as unvaccinated children to show signs of autism. Nine percent said vaccinated children were more likely, down from 12% in a February 2026 survey.
Asked about competing statements on vaccines and autism, 55% agreed with the American Academy of Pediatrics statement that studies have repeatedly found no credible link between childhood vaccines and autism. Eighteen percent said their views aligned with wording now on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, which says the claim that vaccines do not cause autism is not evidence-based because studies have not ruled out the possibility that infant vaccines cause autism. The poll measures respondents’ views; it does not itself evaluate the scientific evidence.
Kennedy’s favorability was also low: 50% said their opinion of him was unfavorable, including 42% who said “very unfavorable,” up from 37% in the same period a year earlier. Favorable views stood at 23%, unchanged over the year. On measles vaccination, 31% believed Kennedy recommends that children get vaccinated, while 29% believed he does not and 40% were unsure.
Public Uncertainty Amid Measles Spread
The poll offers a measure of how Americans understand vaccine claims and the health secretary’s public position at a time when measles is spreading in the United States. The report says the country had 3,659 reported measles cases as of Sept. 24, above the 2,289 reported in all of the previous year. Those figures make public confidence and clarity in official guidance consequential for families and communities deciding how to respond to vaccination recommendations.
The survey does not establish that public opinion caused changes in vaccination or outbreaks. It does show a substantial group either uncertain about Kennedy’s stance or believing he opposes childhood measles vaccination. Annenberg Public Policy Center director emerita Kathleen Hall Jamieson said that uncertainty could hamper his ability to address outbreaks. That is her assessment, not a finding directly measured by the poll.
Separate CDC figures cited in the report show the kindergarten MMR vaccination rate fell from 95.2% in 2019–2020 to 92.4% in 2025–2026. Exemptions rose from 3.6% to 4.2% between the 2024–2025 and 2025–2026 school years. These figures provide relevant public-health context, but the survey does not link them to respondents’ answers.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Kennedy’s Messages on MMR Vaccination
The report describes Kennedy’s public comments as inconsistent. During a 2025 Texas measles outbreak, he said the federal government’s position was that people should get the measles vaccine, while also opposing government mandates. He has also made statements suggesting childhood vaccines may play a role in autism. The survey asked adults what they believed his recommendation to be; it did not assess every public statement or determine how respondents formed their views.
Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, told MedPage Today that Kennedy gives mixed messages, adding that he views Kennedy’s overall position as anti-vaccine. That is Offit’s characterization. The report also notes that the CDC continues to describe MMR vaccination as the best way to protect against measles.
The reported outbreak figures and death counts differ by source and status. The CDC was cited as reporting two U.S. measles deaths in 2026, marked as subject to change, while Pennsylvania had reported five measles-associated deaths amid an outbreak with 943 cases. The source report does not reconcile the discrepancy, so the figures should not be treated as a single settled national count.
“His ability to address the current U.S. measles outbreaks is hampered by the fact that most adults are either unsure about his stand on childhood vaccination against measles or believe that he does not recommend it.”
— Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director emerita of the Annenberg Public Policy Center
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Limits of the Poll and Case Counts
The source report does not consistently identify the year of the August survey, even though it compares results with August of the previous year and includes a February 2026 comparison. The survey’s full methodology, including its margin of error and question wording beyond the excerpts reported, is not provided here. The findings describe responses from the surveyed adults and should not be read as proof of what all Americans believe.
It is also unclear from the report how many respondents had encountered Kennedy’s specific comments, or whether confusion about his measles position changed anyone’s vaccination decisions. The conflicting measles death figures cited for the CDC and Pennsylvania are not reconciled, and the national CDC count was described as subject to change. The poll cannot resolve those reporting differences or establish the causes of the recent rise in cases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Next Updates on Vaccination and Measles
Further survey releases may clarify the date, methods and trend comparisons behind these findings. Public-health monitoring will also continue to track measles cases, deaths, school vaccination coverage and exemptions; the figures cited in the report may change as cases are reviewed and reported.
For readers, the immediate distinction is between what the survey establishes and what it does not: it records public beliefs and uncertainty, rather than testing vaccine safety or measuring the effect of Kennedy’s remarks. Updates from the CDC and state health departments will provide the next official case and vaccination figures, while any future public statements from Kennedy may affect how clearly his position is understood.
autism and vaccines educational materials
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Key Questions
What did the survey find about vaccines and autism?
Sixty-eight percent of respondents said it was false that childhood vaccines such as MMR cause autism. Thirteen percent said the claim was true, and 19% were unsure.
How many respondents viewed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. unfavorably?
Half of respondents said their opinion of Kennedy was unfavorable. Forty-two percent described it as very unfavorable, while 23% viewed him favorably.
Do Americans know whether Kennedy recommends measles vaccination?
Many do not. Forty percent were unsure; 31% believed he recommends vaccination and 29% believed he does not.
Does the poll establish whether vaccines cause autism?
No. The survey reports respondents’ beliefs; it is not a scientific study of vaccine safety or autism. The source report says 55% agreed with the American Academy of Pediatrics statement that studies have repeatedly found no credible link.
What measles figures did the report cite?
The report cited 3,659 U.S. cases as of Sept. 24, compared with 2,289 reported in the prior year. It also noted that the cited CDC death count and Pennsylvania’s reported deaths differed and that the CDC figure was subject to change.
Source: rss
Cold & flu season Picks
humidifiers
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
