Most parents trust core childhood vaccines, question flu and COVID shots, survey finds

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A new KFF-Washington Post survey released Monday finds that most parents remain confident in long-standing childhood vaccines, including measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) and polio. About 90% of parents said MMR vaccines are important for children in their communities, and 88% said the same about polio. Roughly 84-85% expressed confidence in their safety.

Support extends to school mandates. Eight in 10 parents said public schools should require MMR and polio vaccines, permitting medical and religious exemptions. These views cross partisan lines, according to the online survey of 2,716 parents of children under 18, conducted in late July and early August of this year.

Where skepticism takes hold

Parents’ views shift when it comes to seasonal flu and COVID-19 vaccines. Just 56% called flu shots important for children, and fewer than half (43%) said the same about COVID-19 vaccines. Confidence in safety was also lower — 65% for flu and 43% for COVID-19.

Partisan gaps are noticeable. Seven in 10 Democratic parents said they were confident in the safety of COVID-19 vaccines for kids, compared with just 22% of Republicans. Among Republicans who identify with President Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement, only 14% said they believe COVID-19 vaccines are safe for children.

Younger parents (under age 35) expressed more concerns about safety compared with older groups, and Black parents expressed less confidence in flu, MMR and polio vaccines than White and Hispanic parents.

Delays, skips and reasons why

While a large majority of parents keep their children up to date on shots, one in six (16%) said they had delayed or skipped at least one childhood vaccine other than flu or COVID-19. That share rose to 25% among MAGA Republicans, compared with 8% of Democratic parents.

When asked for their reasons for skipping or delaying vaccinations, concerns about side effects, lack of trust in vaccine safety and a belief that not all recommended vaccines are necessary were common responses.

Nearly half of parents who skipped or delayed a vaccine said they did not want their child to receive multiple shots in one visit. Religious identity also played a role, as very religious White parents and homeschooling families were far more likely to delay vaccinations.

Half of parents who skipped or delayed vaccines said their child’s health care provider supported their decision. About one in four said they had changed or tried to change providers based on vaccine views.

Confusion and false claims

The survey also highlights confusion around misinformation.

Fewer than one in 10 parents (9%) said they believe that the MMR vaccine causes autism. Nearly half (48%) said they did not know enough to say. Among parents of children with autism, belief in that claim rose to 16%.

Overall, many parents said they were unsure how to assess other claims championed by Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., including suggestions that vaccines cause chronic disease, or that Vitamin A can treat measles.

Kennedy has questioned the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) vaccine schedule and disbanded the prior Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) earlier this year.

Parents were also divided on the idea of spacing out vaccinations. Four in 10 believed that children are healthier if their vaccines are spaced out and not given in a single visit.

HPV vaccine views

The survey also explored attitudes toward the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. About six in 10 parents of children ages 9 and older said their child had already received the vaccine or would likely get it. Democratic parents (76%) were far more likely than Republican parents (51%) to say their child had or would receive the vaccine.

Parents who opposed the HPV vaccine often cited moral or religious concerns about sexual behavior, as well as worries about long-term safety.

Trust in federal agencies

The KFF poll also found generally low confidence in federal health agencies, with just 14% of parents saying they had “a lot” of confidence in the CDC and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ensure vaccine safety and effectiveness. About half reported having only a little (29%) or no confidence at all (22%).

Roughly a quarter (26%) said the CDC recommends too many vaccines.

Awareness of Kennedy’s policy changes remains limited — six in 10 parents said they had heard little or nothing about them. Parents were split on whether the changes would make vaccines safer, harder to access or less influenced by pharmaceutical companies.

The role of schools

Eight percent of parents said they had requested a school or daycare exemption from vaccine requirements, most often for personal (4%) or religious (4%) reasons, while medical exemptions were less common (3%). Parents who delayed or skipped vaccinations were far more likely to seek exemptions, and homeschooling families were especially likely to delay or opt out.