Health Information and Trust

The monitor

Many Adults Are Unaware of the Abortion Pill’s Safety and Prevalence as Misleading Claims Link the Medication to Wastewater Contamination

Findings from KFF’s July Health Tracking Poll show that much of the public is unsure of the abortion pill mifepristone’s safety. Plus, some groups opposed to abortion are citing a misleading paper in an effort to classify mifepristone as a water contaminant, despite criticism of the paper’s methodology.

New KFF Poll Examines Patterns of Belief Across Common Vaccine Myths

KFF’s latest Tracking Poll on Health Information and Trust shows that larger shares of the public express uncertainty over common vaccine myths than definitive belief. The latest analysis shows which adults are consistent myth believers, consistent myth deniers, and those who fall in the “mixed middle.”

KFF Poll Shows Three in Ten Adults Turn to Social Media or AI for Health Information, with Lower-Income Adults More Likely to Cite Cost and Access Barriers as a Reason

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Polling

KFF stacked bar chart from April 2025 showing the share of adults ages 50 and older by total and by partisanship who say they view mRNA vaccines as generally safe, generally unsafe, or don't know enough to say. It shows that most adults ages 50 and older are unsure whether mRNA vaccines are safe. Among adults 50 and older, Democrats are more likely than independents and Republicans to say mRNA vaccines are generally safe, but still half across partisanship say they are unsure.

As FDA Approves First-Ever mRNA Flu Vaccine For Older Adults, Past KFF Polling Showed Most In This Age Group Were Uncertain About the Technology’s Safety

On August 5, 2026 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first-ever mRNA flu vaccine for adults 50 and older, following a trial of roughly 40,000 people. KFF polling in April 2025 found that most adults ages 50 and older were uncertain whether mRNA vaccines are safe.

From Drew Altman: Americans May Be Smarter About Vaccines Than You Think

Dashboard: Polling on Health Information and Trust

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.