Americans' Trust in Measles Vaccine Hits Historic Low
Americans' Trust in Measles Vaccine Hits Historic Low
The News
Americans' trust in vaccines against deadly childhood diseases — measles among them — has fallen in recent years, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll released Tuesday.
Reuters called the finding a troubling sign for a country living through its worst measles outbreaks in decades.
The poll lands in the middle of a broader argument about whether the problem is the shot itself or the institutions telling people to take it.
Timeline
Newsweek publishes an analysis arguing that Americans still broadly trust the MMR vaccine but increasingly distrust the public health institutions recommending it, and that measles is exposing the consequences.
Reuters reports its Reuters/Ipsos poll finding that trust in vaccines for deadly childhood diseases, including measles, has declined in recent years.
The Independent reports growing fears of a catastrophic measles crisis as trust in the vaccines hits bottom.
Reactions
Reuters framed the result as a warning signal, tying the drop in trust directly to the scale of the current outbreaks.
The Independent reported that the numbers are feeding fears of a catastrophic measles crisis in the United States.
Newsweek pushed back on the simplest reading of the data: in its telling, the MMR vaccine itself still has broad support, and what has collapsed is confidence in the agencies and officials who promote it.
What's Next
The poll itself changes nothing on paper. The practical test is childhood vaccination rates in the states where measles is spreading — and whether federal and state health officials can rebuild the credibility Newsweek says they have lost.
None of the sources set out a specific next step or deadline for federal action.
More
Measles is among the most contagious diseases known and was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000 — a status that depends on high vaccination coverage rather than on the disease disappearing from the world.
Poll
Do you trust federal health agencies' advice on childhood vaccines?
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