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A national Annenberg survey of 1,904 U.S. adults found 68% said it was false that childhood vaccines such as MMR cause autism; 13% said the claim was true and 19% were unsure. The poll also found that half viewed Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. unfavorably, while 69% either did not know or did not believe he recommends measles vaccination for children.
A national survey found that 68% of U.S. adults said it was false that childhood vaccines, including the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, cause autism, while half viewed Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. unfavorably. The Annenberg Public Policy Center survey also found widespread uncertainty about Kennedy’s position on measles vaccination, as the country faces a large measles outbreak.
The August survey included 1,904 U.S. adults. Thirteen percent agreed that vaccines cause autism, while 19% said they were unsure. The share rejecting the claim was unchanged from 2022, according to the report, but below the 74% recorded in June 2021. Just over half said vaccinated children are about as likely as unvaccinated children to show signs of autism. The share who thought fully vaccinated children were more likely to show signs fell to 9% from 12% in February 2026.
On how to describe the evidence, 55% agreed with the American Academy of Pediatrics statement that studies have repeatedly found no credible link between childhood vaccines and autism. Eighteen percent said their views aligned with wording now on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, which says the claim that vaccines do not cause autism is not evidence-based because studies have not ruled out the possibility that infant vaccines cause autism. The poll reports respondents’ views; it does not establish the scientific status of either statement.
Half of respondents described their opinion of Kennedy as unfavorable, including 42% who said it was “very unfavorable,” up from 37% in August 2025. Favorable views stood at 23%, unchanged over the year. Asked whether Kennedy recommends measles vaccination for children, 31% said he does, 29% said he does not and 40% were unsure.
Public Uncertainty Amid Measles Cases
The findings show that most respondents reject the vaccine-autism claim, but a substantial minority either accepts it or remains unsure. That matters for public health because confidence in routine vaccination can affect whether families choose to vaccinate, including against measles, a highly contagious disease. The survey measures attitudes, not vaccination behavior, and cannot show whether a respondent’s views led to a particular health decision.
Confusion about Kennedy’s advice is another issue: 69% said he either does not recommend measles vaccination or were unsure. Annenberg Public Policy Center director emerita Kathleen Hall Jamieson said uncertainty about his position could hinder his ability to address outbreaks. Her statement is an interpretation of the poll findings, not a measure of the effect on vaccination rates.
The report places the poll alongside falling kindergarten MMR coverage and rising exemptions. The CDC’s cited figures show coverage at 92.4% in the 2025-2026 school year, down from 95.2% in 2019-2020. Those figures add public-health context, but the poll does not establish that vaccine skepticism caused the decline.
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Kennedy’s Mixed Vaccine Statements
The MedPage Today report describes Kennedy as having made both qualified endorsements of measles vaccination and statements that have raised questions about his position. During a 2025 Texas measles outbreak, Kennedy said the federal government’s position was that people should get the measles vaccine, while opposing government mandates. The report also cites later remarks in which he suggested childhood vaccines may play a role in autism.
Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, told MedPage Today that Kennedy gives “mixed messages,” adding that he considers the secretary’s overall stance anti-vaccine. These are Offit’s assessments. The poll’s figures independently show that respondents are divided or uncertain about what Kennedy recommends.
The report says the United States had recorded 3,659 measles cases by Sept. 24, above the 2,289 cases reported in all of the previous year. It also notes a dispute in the reported death toll: the CDC listed two deaths, with a warning that the figure could change, while Pennsylvania had reported five measles-associated deaths during an outbreak in the state. The figures come from different reporting sources and should not be treated as a single reconciled count.
“His ability to address the current U.S. measles outbreaks is hampered by the fact that most adults are either unsure about his stand on childhood vaccination against measles or believe that he does not recommend it.”
— Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director emerita of the Annenberg Public Policy Center
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Limits of the Poll and Case Counts
The supplied report does not provide the survey’s full question wording, margin of error, or details about how respondents were recruited and weighted. Those details would help readers judge the precision and representativeness of the results. The poll records answers at one point in time and cannot show why opinions changed or whether views translate into vaccination decisions.
The report also leaves unresolved how Kennedy’s statements affect public behavior. The survey asked what respondents believe he recommends; it does not verify his current position or measure the influence of his comments on parents. The differing measles-death figures cited for the CDC and Pennsylvania are also not reconciled in the material provided.
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What to Watch in Public Guidance
Readers can watch for further clarification of federal guidance on childhood measles vaccination, updated CDC case and death counts, and new school-year vaccination coverage and exemption data. The report does not identify a scheduled follow-up survey or a specific policy announcement. Any later poll results would be most useful when compared using the same questions and survey methods.
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Key Questions
How many respondents said childhood vaccines cause autism?
Thirteen percent said vaccines cause autism in the August survey. Sixty-eight percent said the claim was false, and 19% were unsure.
What did respondents say Kennedy recommends about measles vaccination?
Thirty-one percent believed he recommends measles vaccination for children. Twenty-nine percent said he does not, while 40% were unsure.
Did the poll find that most Americans view Kennedy unfavorably?
Yes. Half of respondents said they viewed Kennedy unfavorably, including 42% who described their view as very unfavorable. Favorable views stood at 23%.
Does the survey show why MMR vaccination coverage has fallen?
No. The survey measures public opinions, while the reported CDC figures show kindergarten MMR coverage and exemption rates. The poll does not establish that particular beliefs caused changes in vaccination coverage.
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