The news: The identified gunman in a fatal shooting at the CDC’s Atlanta headquarters on Friday had blamed the COVID-19 vaccine for making him ill and suicidal, according to media reports. The CDC’s acting chief operating officer said the incident “was a targeted attack on CDC related to COVID.”
Why it matters: While this was the most extreme act of violence against a federal health agency since the coronavirus pandemic, public frustration with the CDC has been growing. Many Americans believe untrue claims about COVID-19 vaccines and blame the CDC for forcing vaccination.
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Trust in the CDC on health issues has plunged from 88% in 2020 to 62% five years later, according to a March 2025 Axios survey.
- 55% of consumers at least somewhat agree with the statement that public health leaders lied about how effective COVID-19 vaccines and masks are at preventing the virus’ spread, per a June 2025 Axios poll. That’s up from 45% in 2022.
- Only about half (56%) of consumers have confidence in the safety of COVID-19 vaccines, per a May 2025 KFF survey. And just 24% in that poll believed the claim that mRNA vaccines can alter DNA is “definitely false.”
Yes, and: HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose department oversees the CDC, is facing criticism from former public health officials and current employees in the wake of the shooting for his anti-vaccine rhetoric and prior comments disparaging the CDC. Kennedy has previously said the COVID-19 shot is the deadliest vaccine ever made and has compared injury rates from the CDC’s childhood vaccine programs to Nazi death camps.
Our first take: Trust in government health agencies, including the CDC, must be rebuilt.
Kennedy contends he’s making progress by recently dissolving a key CDC vaccine advisory committee, but such actions make it more difficult for the public to know whom to trust for health guidance.
Meanwhile, violence against healthcare workers is on the rise, along with hostility toward public health leaders. Medical groups, local physicians, and healthcare and pharma companies must step up to reinforce the credibility of the medical establishment, which will go a long way in restoring public trust.
This is our immediate perspective. We’re actively developing this story throughout the day with more research and data from the EMARKETER database. Our in-depth analysis will be included in our client-only Briefings. Non-clients can click here to get a demo of our full platform and coverage.
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