KFF Monitoring Ballot on Well being Data and Belief: Tylenol-Autism Hyperlink and Vaccine Insurance policies

Key Findings

• KFF’s newest Monitoring Ballot on Well being Data and Belief, fielded a day after the Trump administration warned that taking Tylenol throughout being pregnant may cause autism in youngsters regardless of no proof of a causal relationship, finds that three-quarters (77%) of the general public report having heard this declare, and lots of are uncertain whether or not it’s true. Total, simply 4% of adults say it’s “undoubtedly true” that taking Tylenol throughout being pregnant will increase the danger of the kid creating autism, whereas a a lot bigger share (35%) say the declare is “undoubtedly false.” Most adults – together with majorities throughout many demographics – categorical uncertainty, saying the unproven declare is both “most likely true” or “most likely false.” Perception on this declare is intently tied to partisanship, with most Republicans, together with over half of Republican girls, saying it’s both “most likely” or “undoubtedly true.”

• Amidst a collection of latest adjustments to federal vaccine coverage, majorities of the general public disapprove of Well being and Human Providers Secretary Robert F. Kennedy’s total job efficiency (59%) in addition to his dealing with of U.S. vaccine coverage (62%). Views of Kennedy are largely partisan, with most Republicans and MAGA supporters approving of his total job efficiency and his dealing with of vaccine coverage, whereas massive majorities of Democrats disapprove. Only one-third (35%) of adults say they belief Kennedy to supply dependable vaccine info, together with 67% of Republicans, 27% of independents, and 13% of Democrats.
• Public belief within the U.S. Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC) has continued to say no, pushed by drops in belief amongst Democrats and independents. Total, half of the general public now say they belief the CDC “an important deal” or “honest quantity” to supply dependable details about vaccines – reflecting the bottom degree of belief within the company because the starting of the COVID-19 pandemic. On the similar time, majorities say they belief vaccine info from the American Medical Affiliation (AMA, 64% of the general public) and American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP, 69% of oldsters), two physicians’ organizations which were recently removed from federal vaccine workgroups.
• With Florida not too long ago turning into the primary state within the U.S. to announce an finish to all vaccine mandates, together with for varsity youngsters, most mother and father (70%) say they’re against eradicating public faculty vaccine necessities of their state. Three in ten mother and father (30%) assist eradicating public faculty vaccine necessities, together with about half (48%) of Republican and Republican-leaning mother and father. Greater than half of oldsters (56%) say getting youngsters vaccinated is a part of mother and father’ accountability to guard the well being of others, whereas just below half (44%) say it’s a private selection. Republican mother and father (62%) are much more possible than Democratic mother and father (26%) to say vaccinating youngsters is a private selection.

Perception in Declare That Tylenol Will increase Autism Danger When Taken Throughout Being pregnant

In September the Trump administration issued a warning linking using acetaminophen – the lively ingredient in Tylenol – throughout being pregnant to an elevated threat of autism in youngsters, with President Trump instantly admonishing pregnant girls to not take the painkiller in a widely-covered press convention. Past studies have been combined, with some discovering an affiliation between acetaminophen use throughout being pregnant and autism threat, however none displaying that use of acetaminophen causes autism. Following the administration’s announcement, a number of researchers and medical groups publicly cautioned {that a} causal hyperlink has not been established. Acetaminophen is considered one of many solely secure ache relievers to take throughout being pregnant when used appropriately, and never taking it, notably for the remedy of fevers, can carry extra dangers for the fetus.

KFF’s newest Monitoring Ballot on Well being Data and Belief, fielded simply someday after the Trump administration’s press convention, finds that about three-quarters (77%) of adults say they’ve learn or heard that taking Tylenol throughout being pregnant will increase the danger of the kid creating autism, together with comparable majorities throughout mother and father, gender, girls of reproductive age, and partisanship.

With the overwhelming majority of the general public having heard the unproven declare that Tylenol use throughout being pregnant will increase the danger of autism, simply 4% of adults say they assume this declare is “undoubtedly true” with a lot bigger shares (35%) saying it’s “undoubtedly false.” Nonetheless, in step with prior KFF polling on quite a lot of well being misinformation subjects, many adults categorical uncertainty and fall into the “malleable center,” saying this unproven declare is both “most likely true” (30%) or “most likely false” (30%). This consists of majorities of girls, together with girls of reproductive age (these beneath the age of fifty), Republicans, independents, and Republican girls who all categorical uncertainty in regards to the validity of this declare.

Whereas few adults throughout partisanship assume that it’s “undoubtedly true” that taking Tylenol throughout being pregnant will increase the danger of kids creating autism, partisanship does play a serious position in public notion of this declare. Democrats (59%) are more likely than Republicans (12%) to say this declare is “undoubtedly false,” with comparable partisan divides occurring amongst girls. Conversely, most Republicans (56%), together with most Republican girls (54%) say they assume it’s both undoubtedly true or most likely true that taking Tylenol throughout being pregnant will increase the danger of kids creating autism.

MAHA Help and Public Approval of HHS Secretary Kennedy

As Secretary of the Division of Well being and Human Providers (HHS), Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has overseen a number of main adjustments to federal well being businesses and insurance policies up to now yr, together with cuts to HHS staffing, replacing members of the CDC committee that makes vaccine suggestions, and changes to federal vaccine suggestions for adults and youngsters. The newly established Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission chaired by Kennedy has vowed to fight childhood illness, with a give attention to food regimen and train, processed meals, neurodevelopmental problems, and so-called “over-medicalization” of kids.

KFF’s newest Monitoring Ballot on Well being Data and Belief finds that simply over seven months into his tenure overseeing the Division of Well being and Human Providers, majorities of the general public disapprove of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s job efficiency as HHS chief and his dealing with of U.S. vaccine coverage, with approval largely cut up down partisan traces. About 4 in ten (41%) adults say they “strongly” or “considerably” approve of the way in which Kennedy is dealing with his job as Secretary of HHS, in comparison with a majority (59%) who say they both “considerably” or “strongly” disapprove of his job efficiency. Equally, about 4 in ten (37%) adults say they approve of Secretary Kennedy’s dealing with of U.S. vaccine coverage in comparison with six in ten (62%) who categorical disapproval.

Republicans are much more possible than each independents and Democrats to approve of Kennedy’s dealing with of his position as HHS Secretary (74% of Republicans v. 35% of independents and 13% of Democrats) and his dealing with of U.S. vaccine coverage (69% of Republicans v. 32% of independents and 12% of Democrats).

Even amongst supporters of the Make America Wholesome Once more (MAHA) motion, assist for Secretary Kennedy isn’t common and appears to be largely partisan.

Whereas majorities of MAHA supporters say they approve of Kennedy’s job efficiency (69%) and dealing with of vaccine coverage (64%), a minimum of three in ten MAHA supporters say they both “considerably” or “strongly” disapprove of the way in which Kennedy is dealing with his position as HHS Secretary (30%) and U.S. vaccine coverage (35%), suggesting that Kennedy has but to win over a notable share of adults who assist the motion he’s so intently tied to. This can be defined by partisan divisions throughout the MAHA motion itself: Few Democratic and Democratic leaning MAHA supporters approve of Kennedy’s job efficiency (27%) or dealing with of vaccine coverage (22%), whereas massive majorities of Republican and Republican leaning MAHA supporters categorical approval of Kennedy’s dealing with of his job (85%) and vaccine coverage (79%).

Help of Kennedy can also be intently tied to MAGA id amongst Republicans. Republicans and Republican-leaning independents who assist the MAGA motion (74% of all Republicans/Republican-leaning independents) are more likely than non-MAGA Republicans to say they approve of the way in which Kennedy is dealing with his job as HHS Secretary (83% v. 48%) and U.S. vaccine coverage (76% v. 46%).

Trusted Sources of Vaccine Data

The Trump administration has not too long ago enacted a number of adjustments to federal vaccine steerage, together with limiting eligibility for up to date COVID-19 vaccines to older adults and people with underlying situations, taking steps to revise the pediatric vaccine schedule, and eradicating doctor organizations, together with the American Medical Association and American Academy of Pediatrics, from federal vaccine suggestion workgroups. Amid these adjustments, some physician organizations and health care providers have issued their very own expanded pointers for vaccines, together with for the up to date fall 2025 COVID-19 boosters. As the general public is confronted with more and more combined messaging on vaccine suggestions from quite a lot of authorities, teams and people, belief in several sources of vaccine info could play a key position in adults’ choices.

Medical doctors stay probably the most trusted supply of vaccine info among the many public, with eight in ten (83%) adults saying they belief their physician or well being care supplier “an important deal” or “honest quantity” to supply dependable details about vaccines. Majorities of the general public additionally categorical belief within the American Medical Affiliation, or AMA (64%), to supply dependable vaccine info, with an analogous share of oldsters expressing belief within the American Academy of Pediatrics, or AAP (69%). Fewer adults categorical belief in well being businesses and officers, with half of the general public saying they belief the CDC (50%), their state authorities officers (45%), or Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (35%) for dependable vaccine info. Notably, fewer than half of adults say they belief any of those sources “an important deal.”

According to recent KFF polling, belief in sources of vaccine info is basically partisan, with Republicans extra possible than Democrats to belief Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (67% v. 13%), and Democrats extra prone to belief the CDC (64% v. 39%), their state authorities officers (57% v. 37%), the AMA (83% v. 47%), and the American Academy of Pediatrics (89% v. 54%, amongst mother and father). Majorities throughout partisans proceed to precise belief of their physician for vaccine info, though Democrats are extra possible than Republicans to take action (95% v. 75%). 

Persevering with a pattern noticed in prior KFF polling, KFF’s newest Monitoring Ballot on Well being Data and Belief finds that public belief within the CDC has now dropped to its lowest degree because the starting of the COVID-19 pandemic. Half of the general public now say they’ve “an important deal” or “honest quantity” of belief within the CDC to supply dependable details about vaccines (down from 63% total in September 2023). Belief amongst each Democrats and independents has dropped by double digits since September 2023 (from 61% to 47% for independents and from 88% to 64% amongst Democrats).

The share of Republicans saying they belief the CDC for vaccine info appeared to rebound considerably in April 2025 following Secretary Kennedy’s appointment, however presently stands at 39%, much like the 40% in September 2023.

Public Weighs Help for States’ Roles in Vaccines

With a rising red-blue divide on state vaccine insurance policies, public opinion on state’s roles is equally polarized, with KFF’s newest survey discovering that belief in state officers varies relying on whether or not partisans dwell in states ruled by their very own occasion. Total, Democrats are extra possible than Republicans to precise a “nice deal” or “honest quantity” of belief of their state authorities officers to supply dependable vaccine info (57% v. 37%). But, this differs relying on whether or not individuals share the identical political occasion as their state management. Democrats residing in states with Democratic governors are extra possible than Democrats in Republican-governed states to precise belief of their state officers for vaccine info (66% v. 42%). However, about half (47%) of Republicans residing in states with Republican governors belief their state officers for vaccine info in comparison with only a quarter (27%) of Republicans residing in states with Democratic governors. This advanced interaction of partisanship amid red-blue divides in state vaccine insurance policies has the potential to additional add to the general public’s confusion in the case of vaccine suggestions.

Amid latest adjustments to federal vaccine steerage, a number of states – largely ruled by Democrats – have taken action to increase entry to sure vaccines, together with insurance policies to widen COVID-19 vaccine eligibility. Total, the general public is split on these insurance policies. About half (48%) of the general public say they assist states recommending vaccines for his or her residents that aren’t really useful by federal well being businesses with one other half (51%) opposed. A majority (64%) of Democrats assist these state insurance policies in comparison with about half (52%) of independents and much fewer (28%) Republicans.

Help for Faculty Vaccine Necessities and Mother and father’ Accountability to Vaccinate

In early September, Florida turned the primary U.S. state to announce its intention to finish to all vaccine mandates, together with for varsity youngsters. All 50 states and D.C. presently require faculty youngsters to obtain vaccines for sure illnesses, corresponding to measles, mumps, and rubella and polio, making Florida the primary state to maneuver towards eradicating such necessities. Almost all states, together with Florida, already permit mother and father to choose out of vaccinating their youngsters on account of non-medical causes, corresponding to spiritual beliefs.

Total, seven in ten mother and father say they oppose their state eradicating public faculty vaccine necessities, whereas three in ten say they assist eradicating these necessities. Amongst Republican and Republican-leaning impartial mother and father, half (48%) say they assist eradicating public faculty vaccine necessities of their state in comparison with far fewer Democratic and Democratic-leaning mother and father (13%).

KFF’s latest Survey of Parents with the Washington Submit equally discovered that whereas most mother and father throughout partisans, together with those that dwell in Florida, assist public faculty vaccine necessities for measles and polio, Republican mother and father and MAGA-Republican mother and father usually tend to oppose these necessities.

Mother and father are largely divided on the query of whether or not vaccinating youngsters is a accountability to guard others or a guardian’s private selection, with Republican mother and father more likely to view childhood vaccination as a private selection. When requested which comes nearer to their view, simply over half (56%) of oldsters say getting youngsters vaccinated is “a part of guardian’s accountability to guard the well being of others,” whereas just below half (44%) say it’s a “guardian’s private selection.” A majority of Republican and Republican-leaning mother and father (62%) say that getting youngsters vaccinated is a guardian’s private selection quite than a accountability to others in comparison with 1 / 4 (26%) of Democratic and Democratic leaning mother and father who say the identical.