TL/DR –
Kennedy denied responsibility for measles outbreaks and defended the MMR vaccine saying it’s effective in preventing measles in about 97% of cases. A survey found that 55% of respondents agreed with the statement that there is no link between childhood vaccines and autism, and 68% said it’s false to state that childhood vaccines such as MMR cause autism. The survey also revealed a mixed sentiment towards Kennedy, with 23% respondents having a favorable opinion, and 50% having an unfavorable view of him in which 42% rated him very unfavorably.
MMR Vaccine and Autism: Recent Clarifications and Public Opinions
On August 2, Kennedy refuted claims that childhood vaccines lead to autism and rejected responsibility for measles outbreaks. He underlined the effectiveness of the MMR vaccine in preventing measles in 97% of cases on TV.
Kathleen Hall Jamieson, PhD, an APPC emerita, stated, “Increased measles cases and potential loss of measles elimination status in the U.S. are repercussions of vaccination skepticism, which Kennedy significantly contributed to.”
Public Perception of Kennedy
55% of the survey respondents agreed with the American Academy of Pediatrics asserting no link between childhood vaccines and autism. Only 18% agreed with the CDC’s standpoint that studies haven’t disproven a possible link, while 27% remained uncertain.
A total of 68% firmly believe that childhood vaccines, including MMR, do not cause autism. 13% believe this statement to be true, and 19% remain undecided – numbers that haven’t changed much since 2022.
52% of survey participants believe fully vaccinated children have approximately the same autism risk as unvaccinated ones. 9% believe the likelihood increases post-vaccination, a decrease from 12% in February 2026. 12% think vaccinated children are less likely to show autism signs, while 28% are unsure.
Ken Winneg, PhD, APPC managing director, said, “The slight decrease in linking vaccination and autism shows progress in our survey data. However, there’s no correlation found between accurate knowledge about Kennedy’s recommendations and a decrease in this misconception.”
According to the survey, 23% hold a favorable view of Kennedy, unchanged since August 2025. Half view him unfavorably, with 42% very unfavorably and 8% somewhat unfavorably. The overall unfavorable view of Kennedy remains consistent, but the ‘very unfavorable’ category grew to 42% in 2026 from 37% in 2025.
The survey’s margin of error is +/- 3.2 percentage points with a 95% confidence level.
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