Poll: Americans increasingly trust career scientists over CDC, NIH and FDA leaders

An Annenberg poll found 67% of adults trust career scientists at the CDC, NIH and FDA, while 43% trust the political leaders of those agencies. The survey of 1,650 adults also found higher trust in professional medical organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association.

An Annenberg poll conducted in early February found Americans place more confidence in career scientists at federal health agencies than in the agencies' political leaders. Sixty-seven percent said they trust career scientists at the CDC, NIH and FDA, while 43% said they trust the leaders of those agencies. The survey also showed higher public trust in major medical organizations outside government, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association. Key findings: - Sixty-seven percent of respondents said they trust career scientists at the CDC, NIH and FDA, while 43% said they trust the agencies' leaders. - Seventy-seven percent said they trust the American Academy of Pediatrics to make public health recommendations, compared with 59% who said they trust the CDC on vaccine safety and effectiveness; respondents were far more likely to accept the AAP's advice than the CDC's on newborn hepatitis B vaccinations. - Thirty-eight percent said they trust Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to provide reliable public health information, and 42% said they trust Mehmet Oz in that role. - The poll surveyed 1,650 adults with a margin of error of ±3.5 percentage points and reported a decline in trust for federal health agencies from roughly 74–76% in February 2024 to about 60–62% in February 2026. Summary: The poll indicates a public distinction between trust in career scientists and trust in political appointees, and stronger confidence in professional medical groups outside government. Undetermined at this time.