One of the more interesting moments in last Wednesday’s Republican presidential debate was when Ben Carson, a physician, was asked to comment on Donald Trump’s previous comments supporting the idea that vaccinations can lead to autism. … In many cases, people’s opinions on issues are not well formed, and they […] Read more »
You can blame CNN (and the news media) if childhood vaccinations go down
There were a lot of half-truths and out-right falsehoods peddled at CNN’s Republican debate Wednesday night, but perhaps the most damaging among them was the assertion by Donald Trump that childhood vaccinations cause autism, and others’ skepticism about the safety of the vaccine schedule set out by the American Academy […] Read more »
Parents’ vaccines views shifting
Outbreaks of measles and whooping cough in 2014 and early in 2015 have sparked national conversations about the benefits and risks of childhood vaccination. … In May 2015, we asked parents across the U.S. for their opinions about the benefits and safety of vaccines, compared with one year ago. Parents […] Read more »
Conservatives are more likely to believe that vaccines cause autism
In the recent political flare-up about vaccines, a persistent topic of debate is how attitudes toward vaccines are shaped by political ideology. Some research finds little association between perceptions of vaccine risk and political ideology — suggesting that vaccines are less politicized than many other scientific issues. But a recent […] Read more »
CBS News poll on vaccines and the measles outbreak
Two-thirds of Americans (66 percent) think parents should be required to vaccinate their children, and a similar percentage (64 percent) say children who are not vaccinated should not be allowed to attend public school. … Majorities across all ages and education levels, as well as across the political spectrum, think […] Read more »
Fear of measles? Most Americans want children vaccinated
The Director of the Centers for Disease Control warned of the possibility of a large outbreak of measles on television Sunday, and urged vaccinations. About half the American public in the latest Economist/YouGov Poll are concerned about a possible epidemic, and even more would require vaccinations against measles, mumps and […] Read more »