KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Survey: Policy Shifts, Trust Gaps, and Vaccine Intentions
A recent poll reveals most US adults are hesitant about fall COVID-19 vaccinations, highlighting confusion over federal policies and declining trust in health agencies.
Awareness of Vaccine Policy Changes. Approximately half (52%) of the public said they are aware that RFK Jr. has made changes to US vaccine policy, with 26% describing them as “major changes” and 26% describing them as“minor changes." Higher uncertainty among younger adults (aged 18–29 years) and those without college degrees.
Perceived Safety Impact of Policy Changes. In light of the changes, 36% of respondents reported the changes make people less safe, 20% said the changes make people safer, and 31% did not know enough about the changes to say.
Fall 2025 COVID-19 Vaccine Intentions. Over half (59%) of respondents said they will "definitely not" or "probably not" get vaccinated this fall. Higher vaccine uptake was reported among older adults aged ≥65 years and older (36%) and Black (42%) and Hispanic (42%) adults.
Concerns About Access & Coverage. According to the survey results, overall concern about the availability of vaccines is low, with 33% of all adults stating they are “very” or “somewhat” concerned that COVID-19 vaccines will not be available to them this fall.
Trust in Vaccine Information Sources. Personal doctors or health care professionals remained the most trusted source for information about vaccines, with 83% of respondents saying they trust their doctor “a great deal” or “a fair amount” to provide reliable information about vaccines.
Confidence in Federal Health Agencies. Among all survey respondents, less than half have confidence in federal health agencies (ie, FDA, CDC) to carry out many of their responsibilities, including ensuring the safety and effectiveness of vaccines approved for use in the US (49%), making decisions based on science rather than the personal views of agency officials (42%), or acting independently, without interference from outside interests (37%).
A new KFF Tracking Poll on Health Information and Trust finds that most US adults do not plan to get a COVID-19 vaccine this fall. The survey, conducted July 8–14, 2025 among 1283 adults, also reveals widespread confusion about recent federal vaccine policy changes under US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., including uncertainty among nearly half of parents about whether COVID-19 shots are recommended for healthy children. Trust in personal physicians remains high across political affiliations, but confidence in federal health agencies such as the CDC and FDA continues to decline. This slideshow highlights the poll’s key findings for clinicians, including vaccine uptake intentions, public perceptions of policy changes, trust in information sources, and concerns about vaccine access and coverage.
