Poll: Divide on vaccines about age, not politics

Is support for childhood vaccinations a partisan issue?

The comments made by Chris Christie and Rand Paul that parents should have a choice on immunizations would seem to suggest so, especially as Hillary Rodham Clinton shot down the likely GOP presidential candidates with a tweet strongly favoring vaccinations for children.

But polling data on vaccines indicate the divide is along generational lines rather than ones based on political ideology.

Overall, 68% adults say childhood vaccinations should be required, while 3 in 10 say that decision should be up to parents, according to a Pew Research Center report released last week.

When the findings are broken down by age, 41% of 18-to-29 year old adults say parents should decide whether their child is immunized for diseases such as measles. That compares to 20% of adults over 65 who share this view.

Pew's findings are similar to another poll by YouGov. In that survey, 43% of Americans under 30 say parents should decide about immunizations for their children. That compares to 21% of people over 65 who think vaccinations should be up to parents.

In the Pew survey, strong majorities of Republicans (65%), Democrats (76%) and independents (65%) are in favor of requiring vaccinations.

But when it comes to parental discretion, about one-third of Republicans and independents say parents should make the decision about immunizations, compared with 22% of Democrats. In 2009, there was no such divide between Democrats and Republicans, according to Pew's report.

President Obama urged parents in a TV interview to get their kids immunized, but the emotional issue took a frenetic turn as Christie, Paul and then Clinton weighed in.

Dr. Peter Hotez, president of the Sabin Vaccine Institute in Houston, said he believes a "more forceful" message is warranted for government officials.

"I would like to hear the president, health secretary, CDC director up there in unison saying 'vaccinate your kids,' " Hotez said. "Measles is a threat to the public health of the United States."

This article was originally published at On Politics.