In a striking divergence from national trends, 75% of Amish respondents indicated they would reject a COVID-19 vaccine, according to PubMed. The widespread rejection of COVID-19 vaccines by 75% of Amish respondents highlights a profound cultural barrier to public health efforts aimed at controlling the pandemic.
While national public health campaigns emphasize widespread COVID-19 vaccination, Amish communities exhibit a significantly lower uptake, driven by distinct cultural and religious views. The significantly lower uptake of COVID-19 vaccines in Amish communities creates a growing public health vulnerability in 2026, as these communities maintain their deep-seated autonomy over health decisions.
Future public health strategies must move beyond one-size-for-all approaches and develop culturally sensitive engagement methods to address vaccine hesitancy in insular communities. Among 391 respondents, 59% did not vaccinate their children, compared to only 14% that refused all vaccinations reported a decade ago in the same community, according to PubMed.
The figures, showing 59% of respondents not vaccinating their children compared to 14% a decade ago, reveal a significant and growing resistance to vaccination within Amish communities, particularly for COVID-19, marking a notable shift from past attitudes and signaling an accelerating generalized distrust in modern medical interventions.
Quantifying the Vaccination Gap
Data from 2026 shows a consistent difference in vaccine uptake within Amish-populated regions compared to broader county averages.
- Amish-populated counties had approximately 1.6% lower rates of getting COVID-19 vaccines compared to other counties, according to PMC.
- Amish-populated counties also showed an approximately 1.6% lower COVID-19 vaccination rate than counties without significant Amish populations, according to SSRI.
Consistent data across multiple studies confirms a measurable and persistent gap in COVID-19 vaccination rates within Amish communities compared to national averages.
