Vaccines

This Monitor highlights April KFF Tracking Poll findings on perceptions about measles and explores the unsubstantiated promotion of budesonide and clarithromycin as treatments. It also covers misrepresentations of syringe programs and how prompting strategies can boost the accuracy of AI chatbots on health questions.

With health officials reporting 800 measles cases in multiple states already this year, most of the public – and most parents – report hearing at least one false claim about measles or the vaccine for it, and many of them aren’t sure what to believe, the latest KFF Tracking Poll…

This poll looks at awareness and concern over the outbreak of measles in the U.S. and finds that a growing share of adults is encountering false claims about the measles vaccines, but many are uncertain whether these claims are true or false. Parents who lean toward believing the false claims are less likely to say they keep their children up to date on routine vaccinations.

Funding from CDC has been a major source of support for public health programs across the U.S., but CDC is now being targeted for budget cuts by the Trump administration. To better understand how much CDC funding is provided to state and local jurisdictions, we analyzed FY 2023 funding data from CDC and present findings about much funding was provided to state and local jurisdictions, what types of public health activities were supported with this funding, and how the funding was distributed across states and regions of the U.S.

In his latest column, KFF President and CEO Drew Altman examines the implications of Secretary Kennedy’s reorganization of HHS and why it’s a sharp break from past efforts to reorganize the department.

This volume examines beliefs about bird flu and the false promotion of vitamin A as a measles prevention. It also covers social media content moderation and the misrepresentation of a study on gender-affirming care. Lastly, it explores when people prefer AI chatbots over humans for health information.

This volume covers recent claims about COVID vaccine safety after a new study describes a rare condition it calls “post-vaccination syndrome” (PVS). It also investigates the false claim that ivermectin can treat cancer and highlights the re-emergence of concerns online about Gardasil, and its alleged mortality rate.

This volume discusses the spread of race-based vaccine myths and shifts in health communication from fact-checking to fostering open dialogue. It also explains common misconceptions about heart attack treatment and prevention, a new scientific journal that questions established science, and gaps in research standards for AI chatbots used in healthcare.

This volume shares findings from the latest KFF Tracking Poll on Health Information and Trust, along with updates from Robert Kennedy Jr’s senate hearings. It also examines distrust in public health messaging about bird flu, motivations for sharing information online, and how fraudulent research can sometimes inform AI chatbot models.

As Senate hearings begin for President Trump’s health nominees, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the latest KFF Tracking Poll on Health Information and Trust shows a decline in public trust for government health agencies like the CDC, FDA, and local public health officials. The poll reveals growing skepticism about vaccines and school vaccine requirements, especially among Republicans and parents, while misinformation about vaccine safety persists. Despite low concern about the H5N1 bird flu, the U.S. public is divided on how prepared they believe the government is for future health crises or pandemic.