Only 40% of U.S. parents plan to fully vaccinate their children

Only 35% to 40% of U.S. pregnant women and parents of young children say they plan to fully vaccinate their child, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Emory University survey results. Published in JAMA Network Open, the results show responses from 174 pregnant women and 1,765 parents in April 2024 about their plans to have their child receive all recommended vaccines by 18 months. The authors suggest having providers intervene during pregnancy to support families proactively with childhood vaccination decisions. The research follows CDC data showing childhood vaccination rates have fallen in more than 30 states and the worst U.S. measles outbreak in more than three decades. (CIDRAP news release, 7/17/25)