New survey by the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania shows that while most U.S. adults (82%) would recommend that eligible children in their household get the MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps, and rubella, the percentage has declined significantly since November 2024 (90%). The survey also finds that:

• The public is confused about whether the top U.S. health official, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., recommends that children be vaccinated against measles;
• Most Americans believe that vaccines like the MMR vaccine do not cause autism – but significantly fewer know this than in recent years;
• Over half of those surveyed are not sure whether a mercury-based preservative in some vaccines affects a person’s chances of developing autism, when evidence has shown no link between the preservative and autism;
• A quarter of the public thinks getting the measles is likely to be less deadly than it is.

The survey data come from the 25th wave of a nationally representative panel of 1,699 U.S. adults conducted for the Annenberg Public Policy Center by SSRS.