The independent source for health policy research, polling, and news.
KFF’s policy research provides facts and analysis on a wide range of policy issues and public programs.
KFF designs, conducts and analyzes original public opinion and survey research on Americans’ attitudes, knowledge, and experiences with the health care system to help amplify the public’s voice in major national debates.
KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the organization’s core operating programs.
A comprehensive timeline of public health policy actions by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under the Trump administration from 2025-2026, with key dates, descriptions, and impacts.
A growing number of states, reaching 30 as of March, have announced that they are no longer following CDC recommendations as their benchmark for some or all childhood vaccines... The court’s stay does not change these states’ decisions and in some ways may allow them to avoid a potential ‘ping pong’ of federal vaccine policy that could result from future legal rulings or actions by the administration.
The EPA launched the next step of its fluoride safety review, as more states move to ban community water fluoridation and senior officials amplify concerns about fluoride beyond what current evidence supports. The Monitor also explores AI policy and content moderation, including the practice of GEO to influence what AI chatbots say.
In his latest column, President and CEO Dr. Drew Altman discusses how midterm political strategy will shape health policy in 2026, focusing on recent moves by President Trump. He writes: “Democrats start out with a significant advantage on health in the midterms, but rather than cut and run to other issues, Trump wants Republicans to try to erode that advantage where they can.”
A new study finds that nearly 10% of cancer research papers showed signs of being fabricated by “paper mills”. The problem may intensify as generative AI becomes more sophisticated, prompting lawmakers to demand information about safeguards in place. And, claims that physicians are financially incentivized to promote vaccines persist, despite lack of evidence.
KFF experts shared insights on what the shifting policy for childhood and adult vaccination schedules means for state governments, the U.S. public health system, and Americans.
Drawing on KFF's poll findings, this interactive dashboard tracks the public’s trusted sources for health information, attitudes toward vaccines, and use of news, social media, and AI for health-related information. It provides visual representations of the key trends in the public’s trust in health information and tracks exposure to and belief in false and unproven health claims.
In the weeks after the Trump administration reduced the number of recommended childhood vaccines for routine use, the public’s trust in the CDC remains at its lowest point. Among those who have heard about the recent changes to the recommended childhood vaccine schedule, more say they expect the changes to have a negative impact than a positive one on children’s health.
Weeks after the Trump administration reduced the number of childhood vaccine recommended for routine use, public trust in the CDC is at its lowest since the COVID-19 pandemic, and less than half are confident in federal agencies' ability to make such recommendations. Among those who have heard about the revised recommendations, more say they expect the changes to have a negative impact than a positive one on children’s health.
Starting in May of last year, HHS Secretary Kennedy and the CDC/ACIP began to make changes to the federal vaccine schedule for children, culminating in an announcement on January 5 of this year with the most wide-ranging changes to date. This policy brief tracks the number of states that have announced they are no longer following federal government recommendations for childhood vaccines as of January 20, 2026.
© 2026 KFF