Percentages of U.S. adults who know varied ways in which measles could be unfold. Supply: Annenberg Public Coverage Heart surveys in April 2024 and April 2025. Credit score: Annenberg Public Coverage Heart
America is within the midst of the second-highest 12 months of measles circumstances since 2000, when the illness was declared eradicated on this nation, which means that circumstances inside america originated outdoors the nation. As of Could 8, the U.S. Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC) reported that in 2025, there have been over a thousand confirmed U.S. circumstances of measles and three confirmed deaths from measles.
As a result of many circumstances go unreported, this quantity is taken into account an undercount. In distinction to the present outbreak, from the time america declared that measles was not endemic by final 12 months (2000-2024), there’s been a mean of about 180 measles circumstances a 12 months.
Whereas many People understand how measles can unfold, most can’t precisely estimate the prevalence of issues related to measles reminiscent of hospitalization or the dangers it presents throughout being pregnant, based on the newest Annenberg Science and Public Well being (ASAPH) survey, which was carried out amongst 1,653 empaneled U.S. adults from April 15-28, 2025, by the Annenberg Public Coverage Heart (APPC) of the College of Pennsylvania.
The survey finds that greater than 8 in 10 People (83%) are usually not nervous that they or somebody of their household will contract measles over the following three months. “Since the overwhelming number of individuals in this country, including children, either have had measles or have been vaccinated against it, it is unsurprising that few are worried about getting the virus,” stated Kathleen Corridor Jamieson, director of the Annenberg Public Coverage Heart and of the survey.
“But with measles cases reported in 31 states and vaccination rates dropping, everyone should be knowledgeable about the symptoms, treatment, and the prevention of measles through the highly effective MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine.”
The 2 doses of the measles vaccine—that are really useful at ages 12-to-15 months for the primary dose and 4 to six years outdated for the second dose—are 97% efficient at stopping measles amongst those that are vaccinated and uncovered to it, the CDC experiences.
Stopping measles with the MMR vaccine
Though a long time of analysis have established that the childhood vaccine for measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) is one of the simplest ways to guard in opposition to measles, some dad and mom are hesitant to have their youngsters vaccinated, partially due to the debunked declare that the MMR vaccine may cause autism.
Two-thirds of People (67%) say the purported hyperlink between MMR and autism is a false one. Whereas the proportion who say the MMR vaccine doesn’t trigger autism is sizable, it’s considerably decrease than the 74% who stated so in June 2021, when the ASAPH survey first requested this query. Within the present survey, 1 in 7 folks (14%) say it’s true that the MMR vaccine causes autism, a rise of 5 proportion factors from June 2021 (9%).
To most People, the advantages of the MMR vaccine for youngsters outweigh the dangers by a large margin (83% vs. 17%). Nevertheless, the share of People who imagine the advantages outweigh the dangers has dropped barely however considerably from August 2023, when 89% stated the advantages outweighed the dangers. Additional, 81% say it’s true that medical professionals advocate that those that are capable of be safely vaccinated take the MMR vaccine even when their possibilities of publicity are low. This proportion is considerably increased in comparison with April 2024, when 74% stated this was true.
Most agree on vaccine necessities for youngsters to attend public faculty
When requested about their views on MMR vaccine necessities for youngsters attending faculty, vastly extra folks agree that wholesome youngsters ought to be required to be vaccinated to attend public faculty due to the potential danger to others who are usually not vaccinated (70%) than say dad and mom ought to have the ability to resolve, even when it creates dangers for others (18%).
These outcomes present a big uptick in assist for college vaccine necessities within the 20 months since August 2023 (63%), and a big decline amongst these supporting parental alternative (22% in August 2023).
Graphic reveals that few U.S. adults precisely estimate the incidence of hospitalization and diarrhea in people who find themselves contaminated with measles. Supply: Annenberg Public Coverage Heart surveys in April 2024 and April 2025. Credit score: Annenberg Public Coverage Heart
Measles dangers throughout being pregnant not broadly understood
For people who find themselves pregnant and haven’t had the MMR vaccine, getting measles can result in critical issues, reminiscent of delivering a low-birth weight child and early supply. When requested to pick out amongst a listing of issues that would happen in somebody with measles who’s pregnant, a 3rd of survey respondents appropriately establish delivering a low birthweight child (34%) or experiencing an early supply (34%) as issues of getting measles whereas pregnant.
Extra folks establish demise as a potential complication this 12 months (16%, considerably greater than the 12% final 12 months). A small variety of folks incorrectly point out that diabetes (7%) and blurred imaginative and prescient (11%) usually tend to happen in case you have measles whereas pregnant. They don’t seem to be. Most People (57%) say they don’t seem to be certain what the issues are.
The CDC recommends measles vaccination earlier than however not throughout being pregnant for individuals who are unvaccinated; nonetheless, solely 15% know this. The CDC notes: “Even though MMR is a safe and effective vaccine, there is a theoretical risk to the baby. This is because it is a live vaccine, meaning it contains a weakened version of the living viruses.”
The CDC recommends the MMR vaccine be given a month or extra earlier than somebody turns into pregnant, if that particular person was not already vaccinated in opposition to measles, mumps, and rubella.
Most understand how measles unfold, however few grasp dangers
Amid the present measles outbreak, almost 6 in 10 (58%) say there are extra measles circumstances within the U.S. than within the comparable interval final 12 months. Greater than 1 / 4 (27%) point out that they don’t seem to be certain whether or not there are extra circumstances than final 12 months, 5% assume there are fewer circumstances, and 11% say the variety of circumstances is about the identical.
Extra folks understand how measles spreads: Most People can establish frequent methods measles spreads. Two-thirds (66%) appropriately say that measles could be unfold by touching a contaminated floor after which touching one’s nostril, mouth, or eyes, a big enhance from final April when 59% indicated this as a way of spreading measles. Barely fewer People (63%) appropriately say that measles could be unfold by coughing or sneezing, no statistical distinction from final 12 months.
Few know the measles incubation interval: Only a few of these surveyed understand how lengthy an individual contaminated with measles can unfold the virus earlier than growing the signature measles rash. One in 7 (14%) appropriately estimate that an individual can unfold the an infection for 4 days earlier than growing a rash, whereas 12% estimate that the interval is one week. The vast majority of folks (55%) report not being certain. These outcomes are unchanged from April 2024.
Few precisely estimate signs and issues: Though a majority of respondents know frequent ways in which measles can unfold, about half of People categorical uncertainty about how typically sure issues happen—and solely a small proportion can precisely estimate them. Accuracy was decided for these signs if the respondent estimated the incidence inside a variety of ± 4 proportion factors of the particular CDC incidence.
Respondents have been requested to estimate the quantity of people that would expertise particular signs and issues out of 100 folks with measles.
Hospitalization. The CDC experiences that about 13% of people that obtained measles in 2025 have been hospitalized, however simply over 1 in 8 People (13%) estimate this incidence appropriately. A 3rd (33%) say they don’t seem to be certain concerning the incidence and the rest both overestimate (36%) or underestimate (17%) the incidence of these with measles who will turn out to be hospitalized. This represents no vital change from 2024.
Diarrhea. Based on the CDC, about 1 in 10 individuals who turn out to be contaminated with measles will expertise diarrhea because of this. Fifty-four p.c of People are usually not certain how many individuals out of 100 with measles would expertise diarrhea, a big enhance in uncertainty of 6 proportion factors since April 2024, after we final requested this query (48% not sure). 4% estimate precisely, 33% overestimate the incidence (down considerably from 40% final 12 months), and seven% underestimate the quantity.
Beliefs about non-vaccine therapies for measles
Well being specialists grew involved that the emphasis on vitamin A might be misheard to recommend that vitamin A might forestall the illness amongst these uncovered to it. Nevertheless, specialists on infectious illnesses emphasize that vitamin A can’t forestall somebody from getting measles.
And a current New York Occasions story experiences that Texas physicians treating measles sufferers say they’ve cared for “a handful of unvaccinated children who were given so much vitamin A that they had signs of liver damage.” (See our mission FactCheck.org’s report on Kennedy’s current, deceptive statements about measles.)
The ASAPH survey requested about vitamin A and cod liver oil as a safety measure in opposition to measles and located {that a} plurality says that taking a every day dose of vitamin A (46%) or a considerable amount of cod liver oil every day (47%) has no impact on whether or not one will get measles. An equal quantity are not sure concerning the effectiveness of every (45% and 48%, respectively). Simply 9% say taking vitamin A every day helps shield one in opposition to getting measles and simply 4% say taking giant quantities of cod liver oil every day would do the identical.
As for the final well being advantages of taking a considerable amount of cod liver oil daily, 48% say they’re not sure whether or not there are any well being advantages or not. Simply as many say cod liver oil improves an individual’s well being (16%) as say it harms (15%) one’s well being. (A 2024 research means that fish oil dietary supplements “might be a risk factor” amongst wholesome folks for atrial fibrillation and stroke.) A fifth (22%) say taking giant quantities of cod liver oil daily has no impact on one’s well being by hook or by crook.
The ASAPH survey
The survey knowledge come from the twenty fourth wave of a nationally consultant panel of 1,653 U.S. adults, first empaneled in April 2021, carried out for the Annenberg Public Coverage Heart by SSRS, an impartial market analysis firm. This wave of the Annenberg Science and Public Well being Information (ASAPH) survey was fielded April 15-April 28, 2025.
The margin of sampling error (MOE) is ± 3.4 proportion factors on the 95% confidence stage. All figures are rounded to the closest complete quantity and will not add to 100%. Mixed subcategories could not add to totals within the topline and textual content as a result of rounding.
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People say advantages of MMR vaccine for youngsters outweigh dangers by almost 5-1, survey finds (2025, Could 16)
retrieved 16 Could 2025
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