KFF Poll: Health Information & Trust – COVID-19 Vaccine Update
Trust in Goverment Health Agencies Declines, While Confidence in Personal Doctors remains Stable
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New polling reveals a important drop in public trust towards federal health agencies like the CDC and local public health departments regarding vaccine information, even as confidence in healthcare providers remains consistent.
Declining Trust in Public Health Institutions
Recent polling data indicates a concerning downward trend in public trust concerning the reliability of information provided by government health agencies,such as the Centers for disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and local public health departments,specifically on the topic of vaccines. As September 2023, the proportion of adults who express trust in either the CDC or their local public health department has fallen by six percentage points. In contrast, the share of individuals who trust their own healthcare provider for vaccine information has remained relatively stable, suggesting a growing divergence in public perception between institutional and personal sources of health guidance.
Erosion of Confidence in Agency Responsibilities
Beyond general trust in information, the public’s confidence in the ability of federal health agencies like the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to effectively carry out their core responsibilities is also notably low. While majorities of the public may still express some level of trust in these agencies, specific confidence in their performance on critical tasks is considerably weaker.
For instance, only 49% of adults have confidence in these agencies to ensure the safety and effectiveness of vaccines approved for use in the U.S. Even fewer, 42%, believe these agencies make decisions based on science rather than the personal views of agency officials. The lowest level of confidence is reserved for the agencies’ ability to act independently, without interference from outside interests, wiht only 37% expressing such trust. Furthermore, fewer than one in five adults report having “a lot” of confidence in these agencies to fulfill each of these vital functions.
Partisan Divides in Trust and Confidence
The erosion of trust and confidence in government health agencies is not uniform across the political spectrum. Despite current leadership at these federal agencies being appointed by the Trump administration, Democrats express higher levels of confidence than Republicans in certain areas.
confidence in Vaccine Safety and Effectiveness
When it comes to ensuring the safety and effectiveness of vaccines, a larger share of Democrats (58%) report having at least “some” confidence in government health agencies compared to Republicans (45%). This suggests a notable partisan gap in trust regarding the essential assurance of vaccine integrity.
Confidence in Science-Based Decision-Making and Independence
The disparities become less pronounced, though still present, when examining confidence in the agencies’ decision-making processes and independence.Similar proportions of Democrats (41%), independents (42%), and Republicans (46%) express confidence that the government makes decisions based on science rather than personal views of officials.Confidence in the federal health agencies’ ability to act independently, free from outside interference, also shows a partisan trend.While 41% of both Democrats and Republicans share this confidence, a smaller proportion of independents (32%) feel the same way. This indicates that while partisan differences exist, a broader concern about the independence and scientific integrity of these agencies is shared across the political landscape.