The independent source for health policy research, polling, and news.
Two recent federal actions, including a memo about alleged COVID-19 vaccine deaths and settlements creating a “detransition clinic,” show how official actions can present uncertain or uncommon outcomes as representative and lend credibility to narratives that go beyond what evidence supports.
A hantavirus outbreak linked to a Dutch cruise ship in early May was followed by false health claims that mirror patterns documented in previous outbreaks. The Monitor also examines a new analysis of Americans’ relationship with health and wellness influencers.
About a third of adults nationally say they have turned to artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots in the past year for health information. Most who turned to AI for health information say they were in search of quick and immediate advice, though challenges affording and accessing health care also play a role, particularly for younger adults.
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.
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. Read the News Release.
