A new survey of US adults suggests that, despite the spread of conspiracy theories about vaccines in recent years, most Americans trust the work of vaccine scientists.

The survey from the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) found that, among 1,650 adults polled in February, nearly seven in 10 (69%) say they trust vaccine scientists a "moderate amount" or more to act in their best interest. The amount of trust in vaccine scientists was statistically the same as it was for medical scientists (72%) and scientists in general (70%).

The survey's margin of error was plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

The findings come amid growing challenges to vaccine science that flourished during the COVID-19 pandemic and have been elevated by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has promoted the debunked idea that vaccines are linked to autism and once called the COVID-19 shot "the deadliest vaccine ever made." 

“It is reassuring to see that the public trusts vaccine scientists to act in their best interests just as much as scientists in general, despite the unfounded attacks on vaccine research,” APPC research analyst Laura Gibson said in an Annenberg news release.

By comparison, the survey found similar rates of trust in police officers (70%) and the military (70%). But trust in vaccine scientists, and scientists in general, was much higher than for religious leaders (47%), journalists (49%), elected officials (36%), and business leaders (30%).

Most believe vaccine science has been beneficial

When asked whether the findings produced by vaccine scientists over the past decade have benefited the country as a whole, 61% said they "strongly" or "somewhat" agree, while 61% said they strongly or somewhat agree the findings have benefited "people like me." The responses were similar for scientists in general (61% and 64%, respectively).

The survey also shows Americans believe vaccine scientists are just as beneficial, credible, self-correcting, and unbiased as scientists in general. But vaccine scientists were seen as less prudent than scientists in general. 

Late last week the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that 34 people in 13 states have been sickened in an outbreak of Salmonella Saintpaul tied to backyard poultry.

So far no deaths have been associated with this outbreak, but 13 people have been hospitalized. 

Michigan has the most cases, with six, followed by Wisconsin and Ohio, each of which have five cases. Indiana, Kentucky, and Maine each have three cases. Illnesses started on dates ranging from February 26, 2026, to March 31, 2026.

41% of cases in children under 5 

“Children younger than 5 years old shouldn't handle the birds (including chicks and ducklings) or anything in the area where the birds live and roam. They are more likely to get sick from Salmonella,” the CDC said. 

Forty-one-percent of case-patients in this outbreak are under the age of 5 years, and, of the 29 people interviewed by investigators, 23 (79%) reported contact with backyard poultry in the days prior to illness.

“Of 14 people who reported owning backyard poultry, 13 (93%) bought or obtained poultry since January 1, 2026,” the CDC said. “People reported getting their poultry from various places, including agricultural retail stores.”

The CDC said it will continue to investigate the hatcheries associated with cases. 

A study of children enrolled in Medicaid found a high rate of outpatient antibiotic use in kids with medical complexity, researchers from Boston Children's Hospital reported late last week at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS).

Using the multistate MarketScan Medicaid Database, the researchers examined outpatient antibiotic claims in more than 2.3 million children ages 0 to 18 years who were enrolled in Medicaid in 2023. They categorized the children into five groups—healthy; non-complex chronic condition; and one, two, and three or more complex chronic conditions (CCCs)—and compared antibiotic prescribing rates across groups.

Antibiotics are the most commonly prescribed medication in children, but little is known about antibiotic use in kids with medical complexity, who are prone to infection.

Nearly 40% filled at least 1 antibiotic prescription

Of the children included in the analysis, 39.3% filled one or more antibiotic prescriptions over the study period. Annual prescription rates per 1,000 children rose more than fivefold across the five groups as the level of medical complexity increased, rising from 514 in healthy children to 2,882 in children with three or more CCCs. Children with medical complexity were also far more likely to be prescribed broad-spectrum antibiotics. Penicillins, cephalosporins, and macrolides accounted for 93% of antibiotics prescribed to healthy children, while children with three or more CCCs had substantially more prescriptions for sulfonamides, quinolones, and aminoglycosides.

The researchers said that children with three or more CCCs have the highest annual antibiotic prescription rate of any population, pediatric or adult.

"These findings suggest that children with medical complexity may be a high-impact population for future antibiotic stewardship efforts,” lead author Kate Snow, MD, an instructor at Boston Children's, said in a PAS press release.