NEW ORLEANS — They’re routine and required for school, but once the COVID pandemic took hold, millions of childhood immunizations were put on hold as well.
“Schools were shut down, businesses were shut down, and people were being asked to minimize contact,” said Dr. Joseph Bocchini, a pediatric infectious disease specialist and vice president of the Louisiana Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Bocchini says putting childhood vaccines on hold can lead to bigger problems.
“Although we have good control of vaccine-preventable diseases, many of those viruses and bacteria are still out there,” said Bocchini.
According to an analysis of vaccine data by Blue Cross Blue Shield, there was a 26 percent decline across the country in childhood vaccinations last year when compared to 2019. COVID fears and restrictions were big parts of the reason why.
“The fear is that vaccine-preventable diseases will make a resurgence,” said Dr. Tanya Fitts, a Mississippi pediatrician and president-elect of the Mississippi Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Fitts says that means potential outbreaks of diseases like measles, mumps and rubella. She says her practice has seen a 20 percent decline in childhood immunizations which aren’t just shots in the arm.
“A part of what we do is also developmental screenings and we could be missing early signs of developmental delays,” said Fitts.
The first big decline happened between March and May when the pandemic took hold. The CDC even reported a decline in orders for vaccines. Dr. Fitts also points to August when many students shifted to virtual learning or homeschooling.
“Normally you see an uptick of immunizations that last part of July and August and the fact that those remain flat is very concerning,” said Fitts.
In Louisiana, Bocchini says immunizations started to rebound in August, but still not at pre-pandemic levels.
“We need not to stop right now. We need to keep going to make sure that families understand the importance of getting vaccinated on time for children,” said Bocchini.
On-time and in a time when vaccinations are crucial.
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