Vaccines

This volume examines how the cancellation of contracts to develop a bird flu vaccine and unfounded claims by new vaccine advisors reflect persistent myths about the safety of mRNA technology. It also explores false claims linking COVID-19 vaccines to miscarriage and analyzes how reactions to a Supreme Court ruling on gender-affirming care for minors highlights misconceptions and inflammatory language.

This brief provides an overview of vaccine coverage requirements by payer or program, as they relate to ACIP and the CDC.

This volume highlights how a report criticized for flawed methodology is influencing renewed efforts to restrict access to mifepristone; a federal plan to study the causes of autism that could be contributing to stigma by over-emphasizing environmental toxins; and the resurgence of false claims about fetal tissue in vaccines.

This brief describes four key federal vaccine advisory committees and discusses policy issues and questions they currently face. The four committees are the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA); the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); the National Vaccine Advisory Committee (NVAC) at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS); and the Advisory Commission on Childhood Vaccines (ACCV) at HHS.

This volume highlights how new vaccine requirements and the spread of anti-mRNA sentiments are fueling confusion and distrust. It also examines reactions to a federal report on gender-affirming care for minors and investigates how TikTok is being used to promote false health claims through deepfake personas targeting young women.

This volume examines findings about trusted sources of vaccine information from the latest KFF Tracking Poll on Health Information and Trust. It also explores how the misrepresentation of studies and policy developments contribute to health narratives around vaccines, HIV and PrEP. Lastly, it summarizes new research on the use of generative AI to counteract vaccine misinformation.

In his latest column, KFF’s President and CEO Drew Altman discusses how the low levels of trust in the CDC and FDA today seen in KFF’s recent survey findings present a danger should the country face another epidemic.

As the Trump administration overhauls government health agencies, partisan trust in these agencies on vaccines has shifted and few express confidence in their ability to carry out key tasks. Most adults are confident in the safety of routine vaccines, but the COVID-19 vaccines remain polarizing with many uncertain about false claims regarding mRNA technology.

Five years after the start of  COVID-19 pandemic and the communications challenges, divisions, and false claims that followed, less than half of the public say they have at least some confidence in the federal government’s health agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and…

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.