Survey Finds 45% Of Americans Have Some Doubt About Vaccine Safety

Vaccines are a critical component of population health, but a new survey suggests that nearly half of American adults have some doubt about their safety.

An online survey of more than 2,000 U.S. adults conducted for the American Osteopathic Association by The Harris Poll found that 45% of those surveyed expressed some doubt about the safety of vaccines.

According to the survey’s findings, the biggest sources to cause doubt for Americans were online articles (16%), past secrets or wrongdoing by the pharmaceutical industry (16%) and information from medical experts (12%).

“From an evolutionary perspective, humans are primed to pay attention to threats or negative information,” Rachel Shmuts, DO, a perinatal psychiatrist said in a news release of the surprising results. “So it makes sense that people hold onto fears that vaccines are harmful, especially when they believe their children are in danger.”

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While online resources and social media can often be used to spread misinformation, Shmuts said one of the challenges is that social media has not be shown to be effective in countering the public’s existing beliefs.

She called it a confirmation bias–the tendency to trust new information only if it confirms already held beliefs.

“The number of people who believe vaccines are dangerous and refuse to get them is still relatively small. However, online support groups seem to solidify their beliefs, making them less susceptible to influence from their neighbors and real-world communities,” she said.

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