Nearly half of Americans hold some form of vaccine skepticism, poll finds

Nearly half of Americans are somewhat skeptical of vaccines, a new poll has found.

Some 46% of U.S. adults who responded to a Public First poll by Politico in March agreed that “facts on vaccines are still up for debate and it is damaging to enforce their uptake.”

In contrast, only 39% said that the science on vaccines “is clear and it is damaging to question it.”

The results of the survey are in line with the views of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime vaccine skeptic and founder of the Republican “Make America Healthy Again” movement.

“What stands out is that vaccine safety and vaccine choice are no longer fringe issues,” Mary Holland, CEO of anti-vax group Children’s Health Defense, which Kennedy previously led before taking his post in government, told Politico.

“People want to be able to make their own medical decisions.”

Astonishingly, overall, 39% of respondents to Politico’s survey said they would allow vaccine-preventable diseases to return, rather than force people to have vaccines, in contrast to 47% who said they would rather not.

During his tenure as Health Secretary, Kennedy has overseen several major changes within his department and its policies, including the attempted overhaul of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the elimination of Covid-19 vaccine recommendations.

Last week, it was reported that the CDC had delayed publishing a report showing the benefits of the Covid vaccine, further sparking concerns that the information conflicted with Kennedy’s views. The CDC insisted that the move followed standard procedure.

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Source: The Independent, 14 April 2026