Americans Worry About Trump Govt's Handling Of Measles Outbreak: Poll

The vast majority of them believe that vaccines for the disease are safe

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WASHINGTON - Americans worry about US President Donald Trump's administration's ability to contain an ongoing outbreak of measles, while the vast majority of them believe that vaccines for the disease are safe, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll.

Just 31 per cent of respondents in the two-day poll, which closed on May 13, agreed with a statement that the current administration is handling the measles outbreak responsibly, while 40 per cent disagreed and the rest were unsure or did not answer the question.

The US is currently facing its largest single outbreak of measles in 25 years, with the number of cases crossing the 1,000 mark last week.

The measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine prevents 97 per cent of cases after two doses, and high adoption of the MMR vaccine resulted in the disease being declared eliminated in 2000 by the World Health Organisation.

Nonetheless, vaccination rates among US children have fallen in recent years, which experts attribute to vaccine scepticism and misinformation.

The vast majority of Americans still see the MMR vaccine as safe.

Some 86 per cent of respondents in the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll said it was safe for children, a marginally higher share than the 84 per cent who said the same in a similar poll held in May 2020, in the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic.