Poll: Public trust in CDC lower than ever after childhood vaccine recommendations change

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — Trust in the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is at its lowest point after the Trump administration changed the childhood vaccine schedule recommendations in January, one poll says.

Vaccines against the flu, rotavirus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, meningococcal disease and RSV are no longer recommended for all children. The COVID-19 vaccine was also dropped from the list in 2025.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Here’s what to know about the unprecedented changes to child vaccine recommendations

According to a poll conducted by KFF, an independent health policy research organization, fewer than half of Americans — about 47% — say they trust the agency to provide reliable vaccine information a “fair amount.” That’s down 10 percentage points since the beginning of President Donald Trump’s second term.

The dip is part of a downward trend that KFF first charted during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Six years ago, 85% of Americans, and 90% of Republicans, trusted the CDC. Now less than half trust the CDC on vaccines,” KFF President and CEO Drew Altman said. “The wars over COVID, science, and vaccines have left the country without a trusted national voice on vaccines, and that trust will take time to restore.”

Among the 51% who said they had heard about the changes to the childhood vaccine recommendations, 54% believed it would have a negative impact. About 26% thought it was a good thing, while 13% weren’t sure and 7% thought it would have no impact.

The poll also found significant differences among party lines. Roughly 83% of Democrats and 54% of independents believed the changes would have a negative impact on children’s health, while only 23% of Republicans felt the same.

One of the widest gaps is in the COVID-19 vaccine. About 8 in 10 Democrats are confident in its safety — but for Republicans, that number is closer to 3 in 10.

However, public trust in other vaccines, such as MMR and polio, remains high, garnering support from at least 3 in 4 Democrats, independents and Republicans.