Americans' Trust in CDC Plummets to 50% Amid Political Polarization, Harvard Poll Reveals

Trust in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has undergone a dramatic erosion over the past year, according to a new national poll from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the de Beaumont Foundation. Just 50% of U.S. adults now say they trust CDC (search)Search company health recommendations, a precipitous decline from 77% in 2025. The findings, drawn from a probability-based nationally representative sample of 2,205 adults surveyed between March 19 and April 1, 2026, paint a picture of deepening political polarization and mounting skepticism toward federal public health institutions.

The margin of error was ±2.0 percentage points at the 95% confidence interval. Results were compared to similar polls conducted in 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2025.

Partisan Chasm Widens Dramatically

The decline in trust was not uniform across political affiliations. Among Democrats, trust in the CDC (search)Search company collapsed from 92% in 2025 to just 34% in 2026. Independents also registered a sharp drop, from 77% to 47%. In contrast, Republican trust in the agency rose modestly from 63% to 67%. This widening gap points to what the report describes as "mounting polarization and heightened challenges for effective public health messaging."

Trust also fell by at least 30 percentage points across several demographic groups, including women, Black and Hispanic adults, urban residents, and college graduates.

Other federal health agencies fared similarly. Just 53% of poll respondents said they trust the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health to improve health. A slim majority of U.S. adults—55%—now disapprove of federal public health agencies' performance since early 2025.

Broader Doubts About Agency Integrity

Fewer than four in ten respondents agreed that agencies have made recommendations following the best available scientific evidence, and fewer than one-third agreed that agencies have reduced political or financial influence. The majority of respondents concurred that federal health agencies have been overly influenced by personal beliefs, have the wrong priorities, and have cut or scaled back essential programs and funding. Many also agreed that these agencies are fueling polarization and widening health disparities.

When asked about changes at U.S. health agencies under the current administration, 86% of Democrats said they disapprove, while 80% of Republicans said they approve. Still, approximately 60% of all adults said the U.S. government has gone too far in cuts to research.

Clinicians Retain Public Confidence

Despite the erosion of institutional trust, Americans continue to hold clinicians in high regard. Nurses, doctors, and pharmacists remain the most trusted sources of health information, with support from 80% or more of respondents. Health associations and foundations such as the American Heart Association and American Cancer Society also garnered broad support. Among government entities, local and state health departments ranked highest in trust, while the CDC (search)Search company, FDA, NIHView company profile, and other federal officials were viewed less favorably.

This pattern, the report notes, "underscores the critical role of local and personal sources in effective health communication."

Childhood Vaccination: Enduring Consensus, Emerging Fissures

Support for childhood vaccination requirements remains strong and stable across political parties, with large majorities backing mandates that children be vaccinated against preventable diseases such as measles (search)Search disease, mumps (search)Search disease, and rubella (search)Search disease to attend school—excluding COVID-19 (search)Search disease vaccination. This suggests an enduring public consensus despite broader declines in institutional trust.

However, views on vaccine safety showed subtle shifts. While 89% of respondents still consider routine childhood vaccines very or somewhat safe for most children, the share describing them as "very safe" fell from 63% in 2025 to 57% in 2026, returning closer to pre-pandemic levels.

The poll also revealed division over the childhood vaccine schedule. Overall, 58% opposed reducing the schedule, while 42% supported doing so—a substantial minority, especially among Republicans. Among supporters of reduction, major reasons included concerns about too many vaccines, a desire for parental control, and skepticism about vaccine necessity or safety. Opponents cited fears of increased illness, confidence in established vaccine safety, and concerns about negative effects on lower-income families.

Dietary Guidelines: Mixed Reception

A majority of respondents expressed support for recent changes to the food pyramid and Dietary Guidelines, particularly the emphasis on limiting sugar and highly processed foods. Support was also strong for recommendations to increase protein intake. However, partisan division emerged over recommendations to increase beef and whole milk consumption.

Many respondents agreed that the new Dietary Guidelines include clear, widely accepted advice and could improve food programs. Yet half agreed that the guidelines may have been influenced too much by "big agriculture," and smaller shares questioned certain health impacts. The poll report emphasizes that these findings reflect public opinion about the changes, not an independent assessment of their nutritional validity.

The Path Forward

The poll's findings suggest that rebuilding trust in public health institutions will require transparent communication, a renewed focus on local partnerships, and sustained efforts to depoliticize public health guidance. As the report concludes, "while support for core public health measures, such as childhood vaccinations and updated dietary guidelines, remains strong in some areas, partisan gaps and concerns about influence and priorities threaten the effectiveness of national health messaging."