Americans’ trust in the CDC has plummeted since 2025, new poll finds

American trust in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has plummeted to a mere 50% in 2026, down from 77% just a year prior, according to a new poll by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the de Beaumont Foundation. Only 12% of adults now express 'a great deal' of confidence in the agency's recommendations, reflecting a dramatic erosion of public confidence driven significantly by deep partisan divides and recent changes under the current federal leadership. This collapse signals a critical juncture for the nation's public health infrastructure and its ability to respond to future crises. The precipitous decline largely stems from the controversial tenure of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) under President Donald Trump second term. Kennedy, a vocal critic of established vaccine science, initiated a sweeping overhaul of the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) in June 2025, replacing experts and pushing a December 2025 HHS assessment to reduce recommended childhood vaccines from 17 to 11. These moves, alongside an executive order in June 2026 to 'realign' the childhood vaccine schedule and the withholding of a 2025-2026 COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness study, have fueled public perception that federal health recommendations are influenced by personal beliefs rather than scientific consensus. Looking ahead, the ramifications are profound for national health policy and preparedness. The ongoing legal challenges to the revised childhood vaccine schedule, which a federal judge ruled in March 2026 did not follow proper administrative procedures, mean the previous recommendations remain in effect, adding to public confusion. As state and local health departments now enjoy significantly higher trust levels than federal agencies, the immediate future may see a decentralization of public health leadership. Observers will be watching how the CDC attempts to rebuild its credibility amid proposed FY2026 budget cuts and continued political scrutiny, particularly as the public grapples with complex concepts like 'shared clinical decision-making' in vaccine guidance.