As measles cases surge across the U.S., new research shows that the way people consume media, and the sources they rely on for health advice, are quietly shaping vaccine attitudes in a deeply polarized information landscape.
Study: MMR vaccine hesitancy in a polarized information ecosystem: results of a cross-sectional survey of US adults.. Image Credit: VectorFusionArt/Shutterstock.com
Vaccine hesitancy is a major concern amid the declining popularity of the highly effective measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine in the US. A study in the journal vaccine Found to be hesitant about MMR vaccine Some are associated with engagement with ‘new’ right-wing media outlets and non-official health information sources, such as social media influencers, alternative practitioners, and newsletters.
Decline in MMR coverage threatens US herd immunity status
A measles outbreak in the US in 2025, numbering more than 2,000 cases, is the largest since 2000, when the country achieved measles elimination status. About 93% of cases occurred in unvaccinated individuals or those with uncertain vaccination status.
Childhood vaccinations have declined following the recent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, with vaccine hesitancy among the major contributors. Vaccine hesitancy has been described as “a state of indecision and uncertainty about vaccination”, but it is a dynamic condition that changes rapidly with changes in background factors.
The current study examined hesitancy rather than refusal, but moved from the individual level to the systemic level to examine social and informational factors influencing vaccination attitudes. Specifically, it examined the role of intentionally and passively obtained health care information on vaccine attitudes. This is especially important in the US, where a large share of parents express skepticism toward federal health agencies, largely due to politically nuanced perceptions communicated through their chosen news sources.
This matters in shaping attitudes toward the vaccine because more people are now “encountering health information as it is produced through their chosen news sources.”
Trends related to vaccine hesitancy
Researchers conducted an online survey with 2,970 American adults, about 61% of whom were white, 14% Hispanic and 13% black. About 17% of adults thought the MMR risks outweigh the benefits. Characteristics associated with a higher likelihood of hesitation include:
- age below 44 years
- Low education level (higher education shows protective effect in adjusted analyses)
- politically independent stance (the only demographic factor associated with higher odds after adjustment)
Most adults use multiple digital media. Some of the biggest differences between hesitant and non-hesitant individuals were seen in their media habits. Hesitant individuals report higher engagement with non-mainstream news sources and less-used platforms like podcasts, generative artificial intelligence (AI), social media platforms like WhatsApp or Truth Social, and media channels like Newsmax or Breitbart. This difference was as large as 15% to 23%.
Vaccine hesitancy linked to select news sources
After adjusting for other differences, the odds of MMR hesitation doubled among those who sometimes or often engaged with the ‘new’ right-wing media channel, Breitbart. In contrast, engagement with the Huffington Post reduced vaccine hesitancy in a way that was rarely seen by The New York Times or ESPN.
However, higher intake of these sources was not associated with changes in hesitation. Use of certain platforms, such as TikTok, was also associated with a slightly lower likelihood of hesitation, highlighting the complexity of these relationships. No significant relationships were observed for many other mainstream or right-leaning outlets, suggesting that the effects were outlet-specific rather than uniform across political categories.
Vaccine hesitancy is linked to health care information sources
Additionally, people who seek health information outside the mainstream health care system are also more likely to be hesitant to use MMR. For example, the odds of being hesitant were approximately 40% higher with the use of alternative health newsletters, whereas the odds were 70% higher if alternative health practitioners were used sometimes or often.
This likelihood was as low as 44% among those who sometimes or often visited physicians for information about their health. Those who used professional medical organizations were much less likely to be hesitant.
Overall, these findings show a significant relationship between vaccine attitudes and media sources for news and health information. While mainstream media consumption was not generally associated with vaccine hesitancy, the opposite was true for specific non-mainstream and ‘new’ right-leaning outlets rather than right-wing media overall.
Limitations of the study
This cross-sectional study does not establish causation, which requires longitudinal follow-up to determine whether hesitancy shapes a target group that is sensitive to certain media sources, whether such adults seek alternative sources, or whether both occur simultaneously.
The power of pre-existing worldviews – especially political views – in shaping vaccine attitudes both directly and indirectly by influencing trust in institutions and information.
However, after adjusting for other factors these political effects became weaker, with only political independence remaining statistically significant. Algorithms determine selective user feeds, and thus can help reinforce such attitudes, potentially creating feedback loops that reinforce existing beliefs over time. In turn, these help shape future public health policy through electoral decisions.
Strengths and limitations
Only English-speaking adults were included, limiting the generalizability of the study. Self-reported media involvement may be inaccurate. The study concerned only attitudes toward the MMR vaccine, not the uptake of this or other vaccines.
Nevertheless, the study represents some of the first explorations of the influence of media sources, not only in presenting health information but also in the general context in which it emerges. Vaccine hesitancy is caused not only by the information consumed, but also through the dynamic interaction between media exposure and individuals’ pre-existing beliefs, which may reinforce each other over time.
This emphasizes the challenges of overcoming vaccine hesitancy in a fragmented and polarized media landscape.
