A new survey from the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) of the University of Pennsylvania shows a small yet significant decline in the perceived safety of influenza, COVID-19, and measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccines among American adults.
Though most Americans think all three of those vaccines are safe to take, there has been a decline over the past three years in perceived safety.
As compared with an Annenberg survey in November 2024, the perceived safety of the MMR vaccine is now 83% (down from 86%). Eighty percent of respondents said the flu vaccine is safe, down from 83% in 2024. There was no significant change in perceptions of the COVID-19 vaccine in that time, with 65% of respondents in both years saying they perceive the vaccine as safe.
But when compared with a survey from2022, the drops become more significant. The MMR vaccine was regarded as safe by 88%, flu by 85%, and COVID-19 by 73% in 2022.
Unclear if Kennedy’s actions behind the drop
It’s unclear if the drop in safety perception is tied to lingering concerns about vaccine safety following the COVID-19 pandemic, or if the recent actions by Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., to reduce the number of recommended vaccines has directly American’s opinions on vaccine safety.
It is unclear whether changes in CDC recommendations during 2025 are impacting perceptions or whether the decline is a continuation of the ones we observed from 2022 to 2024.
“While most people continue to regard the flu and MMR vaccines as safe, it is concerning that we are seeing a decline in perceptions of safety over time,” APPC research analyst Laura A. Gibson said in a news release. “It is unclear whether changes in CDC recommendations during 2025 are impacting perceptions or whether the decline is a continuation of the ones we observed from 2022 to 2024.”
Most troubling is the drop in perceived safety of the MMR vaccine as the US is facing the highest rates of measles transmission in several decades, with large outbreaks in populations of unvaccinated people fueling spread across the country. The United States will likely lose its measles elimination status in April, and a growing outbreak in South Carolina has already seen more than 930 cases. Measles was officially declared eliminated in the United States in 2000.
New outbreak in California, more measles in Utah
Other states are also reporting new or worsening measles outbreaks. Yesterday, the California Department of Public Health said Shasta County has a new measles outbreak, with eight confirmed cases in the past 10 days.
In Utah, an outbreak that began in 2025 grew by 21 cases in the past week and is now at 272 cases. Of those 272 cases, 178 are in the Southwest health district.
“Although a strong majority of Americans view the measles (MMR) vaccine as safe relative to other vaccines,” said APPC Director Kathleen Hall Jamieson, “the fact that the number holding that view is below the 95% threshold required to achieve community immunity is worrisome.”
The APPC survey was conducted November 17 to December 1, 2025, among 1,637 adults, and has a margin of error of ± 3.5 percentage points.
