Americans are more likely to trust the American Medical Association (AMA) over the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) when it comes to vaccine safety, according to a recent survey by the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) of the University of Pennsylvania. The findings come after controversial changes were made to the CDC’s website in late November 2025, which appeared to question established scientific consensus on vaccines and autism.
The controversy began when two statements were added to the CDC's Autism and Vaccines page under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. One statement read: "the claim 'vaccines do not cause autism' is not an evidence-based claim because studies have not ruled out the possibility that infant vaccines cause autism." Another claimed that "studies supporting a link have been ignored by health authorities."
These changes drew criticism from leading medical organizations. In a statement, the AMA said, "Despite recent changes to the CDC website, an abundance of evidence from decades of scientific studies shows no link between vaccines and autism." The Infectious Diseases Society of America described the update as "reckless and harmful," adding that "this change is not driven by science but by politics and will only serve to increase mistrust in science and medicine." The president of the American Academy of Pediatrics called for removal of what he described as false information.
To gauge public reaction, APPC commissioned SSRS to conduct an online survey with a nationally representative sample of 1,006 adults between November 21-24, 2025. The margin of error was ±3.4 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.
Survey results showed that if presented with conflicting recommendations about vaccine safety from the CDC and AMA, Americans would be twice as likely to follow advice from the AMA (35%) compared with the CDC (16%). Additionally, 21% would trust neither organization’s recommendation while 27% were unsure.
Political affiliation influenced responses: 43% of Democrats said they would accept guidance from the AMA versus 18% for the CDC; among Republicans, those figures were 31% for AMA and 13% for CDC. Independents also favored AMA guidance over CDC recommendations.
Ken Winneg, APPC's managing director of survey research, commented: "Political party differences here are not surprising. The different willingness to rely on the AMA vs. the CDC, based on political party, is consistent with research showing that partisanship is now a clear factor in health perceptions. But it's important to note that most independents, Democrats, and Republicans would accept an AMA recommendation over a CDC one about vaccine safety."
Age also played a role in trust levels: Half of adults aged 65 or older preferred advice from AMA over CDC (50% vs. 13%), while younger adults aged 18-29 were almost equally split between trusting either organization.
Confidence in information provided by the CDC was moderate overall—52% expressed some level of confidence in its vaccine safety messaging; only 16% said they were very confident while one-fifth reported no confidence at all.
The survey also explored beliefs about vaccines and autism following changes on the CDC website. A narrow majority (52%) agreed with earlier statements denying any link between vaccines and autism; nearly one-third (30%) aligned more closely with recent wording suggesting uncertainty remains about such a link.
Patrick E. Jamieson, director of APPC's Annenberg Health and Risk Communication Institute noted: "A possible source of confusion is the continuing presence on the CDC site of the header 'Vaccines do not cause autism' which...has not been removed due to an agreement with the chair of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee that it would remain on the CDC website.' This crafty move has honored the letter but not the spirit of HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s pledge..."
Trends tracked since April 2021 indicate declining public rejection of claims linking increased vaccinations with higher rates of autism among children—from 71% saying such claims were false in April 2021 down to 65% by October 2023.
Laura A. Gibson, APPC research analyst stated: "Even before Covid-19, our survey data were showing an increase in those who believe that either a particular vaccine or number of childhood vaccinations cause autism...If that sentiment leads to fewer life-saving vaccinations there may be tragic consequences for some children and communities."
Nearly half (47%) believed fully vaccinated children are just as likely as unvaccinated children to show signs of autism; smaller groups thought vaccination increased or decreased risk.
The APPC continues monitoring public attitudes toward vaccination through ongoing national surveys conducted since April 2021.
