About 1 in 6 parents have opted to skip or delay vaccinating their children for diseases other than the flu or COVID-19, a new poll from The Washington Post and the health policy nonprofit KFF found.
According to the survey, 16% of parents have decided against childhood vaccinations for their kids. Parents who are white, Republican, religious, and homeschooling their children were more likely to decline to vaccinate, according to the poll's findings.
Among those parents who homeschool, 46% said they skipped some shots for their kids, while 36% of those who consider themselves very religious said the same.
A total of 22% of Republican parents say they have skipped or delayed childhood vaccinations, rising to about 25%, or 1 in 4, for those who identify as MAGA Republicans.
Conversely, just 8% of Democrats who are parents report skipping or delaying vaccinations for their children.
While 5% of Asian American parents are likely to skip or delay vaccinating their children, the survey found that 19% of white American parents say they're in favor of putting off inoculations or forgoing them entirely.
Vaccination rates of 95% are typically recommended by public health experts to protect populations from disease outbreaks.
Childhood vaccination rates have been falling since the COVID-19 pandemic, and public health experts say they're worried that they will continue to drop as Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. continues to implement changes to federal vaccine guidelines.
A prominent vaccine skeptic before his confirmation and tenure as health secretary, Kennedy has suggested that the number of recommended childhood vaccines has led to a rise in chronic disease in the United States.
According to the poll, 60% say they have heard little to nothing about Kennedy's recent changes that could affect vaccination policies in the U.S., compared with 11% who say they have heard "a lot" and 27% who say they have heard about "some" of the changes. The survey's findings indicate that awareness is higher among older parents, Democrats, and parents who hold a college degree.
The poll reveals that concerns about vaccines are at least partly driving the decision of parents to put off the inoculations, sometimes indefinitely.
Among those parents who skipped or delayed vaccinating their child, 67% said the "major reason" influencing their decision was concerns over vaccine side effects, while 53% said they declined due to a lack of trust in vaccine safety.
The poll was conducted July 18-Aug. 4 and surveyed 2,716 parents or guardians of children. The margin of error is plus or minus 2 percentage points.
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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