Survey data and polling trends on public attitudes toward vaccines. All data is sourced from peer-reviewed polling firms and academic institutions.
This page tracks public opinion polling on vaccines and vaccination policy from major survey organizations. All data is sourced from peer-reviewed polling firms or academic institutions. We present findings across the political and demographic spectrum without editorial interpretation.
Polling data reflects attitudes at a point in time and may shift following major health events, policy changes, or media coverage.
Key findings from major U.S. polling organizations:
Polling consistently identifies several demographic patterns:
Adults under 35 show lower confidence in routine childhood vaccine schedules than adults over 55, reversing the pattern seen before 2020.
College-educated adults show higher confidence in vaccine safety overall, though vaccine hesitancy exists across all education levels.
The largest and most consistent predictor of vaccine attitudes in recent U.S. polling is political identification. Since 2021, Republicans report significantly lower confidence in COVID-19 vaccines and federal health agencies than Democrats.
Rural Americans report lower vaccination rates and higher hesitancy than urban counterparts across multiple surveys.
79% of people globally agree vaccines are safe; 84% agree they are effective. Western Europe showed the lowest confidence — France recorded the highest vaccine skepticism of any country surveyed.
Global childhood immunization coverage recovered to 84% following COVID-era disruptions, but remains below the 86% pre-pandemic level.
Vaccine hesitancy varies widely across EU member states. Romania, Bulgaria, and Croatia report the highest hesitancy for routine childhood vaccines among EU countries.
Polling on vaccines is subject to several methodological considerations readers should be aware of:
Small differences in how questions are framed ("safe and effective" vs. "risks and benefits") can significantly affect reported attitudes.
Online panels, telephone surveys, and probability-based samples yield different results. Probability-based samples (like KFF and AP-NORC) are generally considered more representative.
Polling conducted immediately following a major adverse event report or a high-profile media story often shows temporary shifts in confidence that revert over time.
Stated vaccine intentions consistently overestimate actual uptake rates in multiple studies.