Most Americans believe in the effectiveness of childhood vaccines — but there’s a catch

A new Pew Research Center survey reveals a growing partisan divide in American attitudes toward childhood vaccines, with Republican confidence in vaccine safety and school mandates declining sharply while Democratic support remains steady or increases. Although most Americans still believe vaccines are effective against serious diseases, Republicans show significantly less trust in safety testing and vaccine schedules compared to Democrats, with only 52 percent of Republicans now supporting mandatory MMR vaccines for school attendance versus 79 percent in 2016. This shift occurs during an active measles outbreak and coincides with anti-vaccine activist Robert F.