A new Axios/Ipsos American Health Index poll shows Americans are losing confidence in the federal government to make recommendations about childhood vaccines.
From June 2025 to March 2026, public trust in federal childhood vaccine recommendations dropped 11 points, from 71% to 60%, with only 8% of those polled saying they trust the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) more than the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
The poll was conducted in early March, before a federal judge in Boston temporarily blocked changes to the childhood vaccine schedule.
One in three respondents (35%) have more confidence in guidelines from the AAP than in those from the CDC. About one-quarter (23%) express equal confidence in both sources, while 16% are not confident in either source.
Confidence erodes along party lines
The biggest drops in trust come from Democrats, 81% of whom said they trusted the CDC in June 2025. Now just 66% of Democrats say they trust the agency. Republicans saw only a six-point drop, from 69% to 63%. Independents dropped 7 points, from 65% to 58%.
Those polled were equally divided when assessing whose beliefs the current childhood vaccine recommendations reflect: 30% believe that guidance from federal health agencies such as the CDC and Food and Drug Administration mainly reflect the view of the Trump administration, while another 30% believe they mainly reflect the views of career scientists. And 38% say they are not sure.
The measles resurgence and major outbreaks in West Texas and South Carolina are causing many Americans to say measles and other communicable diseases pose a moderate or large health risk.
Only 18% of those polled in December of 2024 said measles posed such a risk; now that proportion is 36%. Democrats (46%) are more likely than Republicans (26%) and independents (35%) to view measles or other diseases as a risk.
The poll was based on a nationally representative probability sample of 1,225 adults ages 18 and older. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 2.9 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.
Overall, however, Americans polled were most concerned about their bottom line, with 69% very or somewhat concerned about the potential for their health insurance costs to rise in 2026. Most participants from all political parties said the federal government should spend more of its tax dollars to decrease health costs.
