Should measles vaccine be required for schools? What a poll found amid US outbreak

Most Americans are worried about the current measles outbreak in the U.S. and believe vaccination against the disease should be required in schools, according to a new poll.

In the latest Quinnipiac University survey, 69% of respondents said they are either somewhat (33%) or very concerned (36%) about the latest measles outbreak.

Meanwhile, 29% said they are not very concerned (15%) or not concerned at all (14%).

Measles is a highly contagious virus that can lead to health complications, particularly for young children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

As of March 13, at least 301 cases have been reported in 15 states — resulting in 50 hospitalizations and at least two deaths.

In the poll — conducted March 6-10 with 1,198 registered voters — a majority of respondents, 57%, said that children who haven’t been given standard vaccinations should be prohibited from going to schools and childcare facilities.

In contrast, over one-third of respondents, 35%, said children who haven’t been vaccinated should be permitted to attend.

These results mark a sizable shift in opinion from 10 years ago, when a larger share of the public favored vaccine requirements.

In a 2015 Quinnipiac poll, 70% of respondents said they believed children without standard vaccinations should be barred from schools and childcare centers, while 23% disagreed.

“There is palpable worry over the spread of measles and opposition to allowing students to come to school without having been vaccinated,” said Tim Malloy, a Quinnipiac polling analyst. “But concerned or not, there is a big shift from a decade ago when voters were not as willing to open the classroom doors.”

Every state has laws requiring children starting school or childcare to have certain vaccinations, according to the CDC.

Currently, all 50 states and Washington, D.C., mandate that children entering these facilities be vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella, according to KFF, a health research nonprofit.

Most states allow for certain exemptions, such as on religious or medical grounds.

The latest poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.8 percentage points.

This story was originally published March 14, 2025 at 1:21 PM with the headline "Should measles vaccine be required for schools? What a poll found amid US outbreak."