Surveys find low confidence in federal health agencies

A survey of 900 U.S. adults conducted in April 2026 found that 80% had high trust in their personal doctors, compared with 54% for the CDC and 35% for HHS, according to findings presented at IDWeek. The survey also found high trust in professional medical organizations among 76% of respondents.

Separately, a Gallup poll found that 26% of Americans rated the CDC’s performance as excellent or good and 25% gave that rating to the FDA. Gallup reported that public confidence in both agencies had fallen to record lows. The IDWeek survey measured trust in agencies as sources of health information, while Gallup asked respondents to rate agency performance.