Survey Finds Decreased Support for MMR Vaccine Requirements

Results from a recent Kaiser Family Foundation COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor survey indicate that 71% of adults think healthy children should be required to be vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella in order to attend public schools — a decrease of 11 percentage points compared to answers to the same question in a 2019 Pew Research Center poll.

At the same time, the percentage of respondents who said parents should be able to decide whether their children receive an MMR vaccine increased considerably, from 16% in 2019 to 28% in 2022.

Among parents of children under age 18, only 65% thought healthy children should be required to be vaccinated to attend public schools because of the potential risk for others. The remaining 35% disagreed, even if that created health risks for others.

Despite these findings, confidence in childhood MMR vaccination appeared high; 85% of respondents said the benefits outweigh the risks. For parents of children under age 18, the percentage was slightly lower (80%).  Even among adults who reported not being vaccinated against COVID-19, most (70%) said that the benefits of childhood MMR vaccination outweigh the risks.

Other Findings

As for COVID-19, 49% of respondents were worried there will be an increase in cases and hospitalizations in the United States this winter, but only 36% were worried that they would get seriously sick themselves. Among parents, more were worried that their children would become seriously sick from influenza (51%) than COVID-19 (47%).

Seventy-five percent of respondents reported that they had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, the lowest percentage since February 2022. Of those, 67% said they had also received at least one booster shot. Among unvaccinated adults, 85% said they definitely will not get vaccinated.

The survey also found that 59% of all respondents said they had received a vaccine for the current influenza season, and 34% of parents said their children had.

Overcome Vaccination Barriers With AAFP Resources

The benefits of childhood immunization are well-established. The CDC estimates that childhood vaccinations prevent 4 million deaths worldwide each year, while other evidence suggests that in the United States alone, 24 million cases of vaccine-preventable disease were averted in the year before the COVID-19 pandemic because of routine childhood immunizations.

Because patients trust family physicians for vaccines and information, they are likely to hear parents’ concerns about the effectiveness and adverse effects of vaccines. To help members have these conversations, the Academy has developed a plethora of tools, guides and other resources. These include

• fact sheets that illustrate how to have conversations with parents, build confidence and explain the vaccine safety system; 
• a patient education infographic to share with parents;
• guidance documents on COVID-19 and influenza vaccines;
• a collection of customizable resources FPs can use to educate parents on immunizations recommended for adolescents;
• a free on-demand CME course on improving vaccine confidence; and
• patient materials on COVID-19 vaccines for younger children and other childhood vaccines and related preventive services at familydoctor.org.

Additional resources are available on the Academy’s Immunizations and Vaccines webpage.