Excess death rates due to pandemic persisted in Western countries

Despite no evidence that the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine causes autism, a quarter of US adults still think it does, and the false belief is fueling rising measles cases amid falling vaccination rates, finds a survey by the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC).

“The persistent false belief that the MMR vaccine causes autism continues to be problematic, especially in light of the recent increase in measles cases,” APPC Director Kathleen Hall Jamieson, PhD, said in a center press release. “Our studies on vaccination consistently show that the belief that the MMR vaccine causes autism is associated not simply with reluctance to take the measles vaccine but with vaccine hesitancy in general.”

In April 2024, APPC scientists surveyed more than 1,500 adults about measles transmission, symptoms, and vaccination recommendations for pregnant women.

1 in 10 knew vaccine not recommended in pregnancy

In total, 24% of adults said that they don’t believe the MMR vaccine doesn’t cause autism, and another 3% weren’t sure. 

Nearly 6 in 10 participants understood that measles spreads through coughing, sneezing, and touching their face after contact with contaminated surfaces, while more than 1 in 5 (22%) incorrectly said it can be sexually contracted. Only 12% of respondents correctly indicated that an infected person can spread the measles virus for 4 days before a rash appears—12% thought it was 1 week, and 55% weren’t sure. 

Only 1 in 10 knew that pregnant women shouldn’t receive the measles vaccine because it contains a weakened live form of the virus and therefore may pose a risk to the fetus. 

Fewer than 4 in 10 panelists correctly indicated that measles is a risk factor for premature birth and low birth weight, and only 1 in 10 knew that pregnant women shouldn’t receive the measles vaccine because it contains a weakened live form of the virus and therefore may pose a risk to the fetus. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends two doses of MMR vaccine for children, with the first dose at 12 to 15 months and the second dose at ages 4 to 6 years. It should also be given to women a month or more before they plan to become pregnant, if they weren’t vaccinated as a child.