Fewer Americans today consider childhood vaccines important, with 40% saying it is extremely important for parents to have their children vaccinated, down from 58% in 2019 and 64% in 2001. There has been a similar decline in the combined “extremely” and “very important” percentage, which was 94% in 2001 but sits at 69% today.
The July 1-21 poll also finds 17% of Americans saying it is somewhat important that parents get their children vaccinated, while 5% say it is not very important and 7% say it is not at all important. In 2001, 1% said having children vaccinated was not at all important.