Less Than Half of Americans View Childhood Vaccination as Important?

According to a recent Gallup poll, fewer Americans consider childhood vaccines important today compared to five years ago. Only 40% of Americans said it is extremely important for parents to have their children vaccinated, down from 58% in 2019 and 64% in 2001. Gallup noticed a similar decline in the combined “extremely” and “very important” percentage, which was 94% in 2001 but sits at 69% today.

The poll also found 7% said it is not at all important this year, in contrast to 2001 when 1% said having children vaccinated was not at all important.

Republicans and republican-leaning independents accounted for the decline in perceived importance of childhood vaccinations, Gallup reported. Only 26% of Republicans and Republican leaners—half as many as in 2019—believe it is extremely important for parents to get their children vaccinated. The views of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents have changed little over the past 24 years. 

In the initial Gallup poll on vaccinations in 2021, Republicans and Republican leaners (62%) held similar views to Democrats and Democratic leaners (66%); the two groups now differ by 37 percentage points.

Consistent with the decline in the perceived importance of vaccines, Americans are now much less likely than in the past to say the government should require children to be vaccinated against contagious diseases such as measles. Fifty-one percent now hold this view, down from 62% in 2019. Princeton Survey Research Associates also asked this question in a 1991 poll, which found 81% in favor of vaccine requirements at that time. Gallup said Republicans largely account for this change.

Despite these results, 88% of U.S. adults said they have heard a great deal (53%) or fair amount (35%) about the advantages of vaccinations, similar to the 89% recorded in 2019. Meanwhile, 63% report hearing a great deal (27%) or fair amount (36%) about the possible disadvantages of vaccinations for children, down from 79% in 2019.