Americans' trust in the CDC's vaccine recommendations declines markedly under Trump

"Just six in 10 Americans trust the federal government's childhood vaccine recommendations, a new poll finds. That marks a notable drop from June 2025, when 71 percent of poll respondents said they trusted the government's vaccine guidance. The greatest decline was among Democrats—from 81 percent to 66 percent—although Republicans' and Independents' trust also waned."

"Since President Donald Trump's second term began, federal health officials have rolled back recommendations for vaccines that protect against COVID, hepatitis B, meningococcal meningitis, rotavirus, and more. At the same time, the Trump administration's health and human services secretary and long-time vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., dismantled and replaced the members of a key vaccine advisory panel, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)."

"It's encouraging, the fact that the majority of folks are listening to health professionals, but it's discouraging, the fact that there's a chorus of opinions now instead of a singular voice, says Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease physician and professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. That's a problem, he says, because it could harm efforts to encourage."

Trust in federal government childhood vaccine recommendations has declined significantly to 60% of Americans, down from 71% in June 2025. Democrats saw the largest drop, falling from 81% to 66%, while Republicans and Independents also experienced decreased confidence. About one-third of survey respondents express greater trust in vaccine guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics than the CDC. Only 8% prefer CDC guidance. Since Trump's second term began, federal health officials have rolled back recommendations for vaccines protecting against COVID, hepatitis B, meningococcal meningitis, and rotavirus. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. restructured the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Experts note the shift from unified federal guidance to multiple competing voices creates challenges for vaccine promotion efforts.

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