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SALT LAKE CITY — The majority of Americans have positive attitudes about the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, but some groups are more concerned about risks than others, according to a new Pew Research Center report, which indicates it’s not politics that divide U.S. opinion on vaccinations, but race, age, income level and education.
Overall, 88% of U.S. adults think positively of the MMR vaccine, saying the benefits outweigh the risks. However, black and Hispanic Americans are more likely to say MMR vaccine risks are high and preventive health benefits are low. People who are younger, poorer and less educated also tend to express more skeptical attitudes of the vaccine, according to the Pew report.
The report, which was based on an October 2019 survey of 3,627 U.S. adults, sheds new light on what groups might be resistant to vaccinations at a time when measles cases are on the rise.
