Public confidence in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) during the coronavirus pandemic fell between May and October 2020, a survey revealed, with the most significant decline reported among white and non-Hispanic Hispanic respondents. The survey, conducted by RAND Corporation, involved 2,000 Americans and rated confidence on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest.
The average drop in confidence among respondents was about 0.7 points or 10%, the researchers said. The survey divided the groups into subgroups by ethnicity, voting intention, age and rural versus urban.
“In the end, there is remarkable consistency and convergence in the reported levels of confidence in the CDC between these subgroups after the falls, with the exception of comparisons of voting intentions,” wrote the researchers.
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Survey respondents who said they intended to vote for now President Joe Biden showed a small, non-significant decline in confidence in the CDC, all those who said they planned to vote for former President Donald Trump, someone else or did not show “significant and substantial declines. in trust. “
The researchers said these findings suggest that the CDC’s views are now heavily politicized, which could be a challenge for the agency where the country is navigating the largest distribution of vaccines in history.
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“These surveys show that the CDC will need some perception rehabilitation, particularly among those who reported having the intention to vote for someone other than Biden or not to vote (who had low initial confidence levels that decreased further),” said researchers. “While we know that the black community has little confidence in the CDC, it is now equally low across all groups.”
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The Biden administration has announced a series of new initiatives, including the deployment of social media influencers and community leaders to help inform with factual information regarding vaccines and virus safety in an attempt to allay concerns about mistrust. The researchers further suggest that, in addition to messengers from the community, the CDC adds a layer of openness and transparency, particularly with regard to changing orientation, similar to how the FDA has adapted.