NEW ORLEANS — Across the country, pediatricians are seeing fewer parents bring their children in for regular vaccines. It’s down as much as 70 percent. And now a local doctor fears there could be a wave of sick children if that doesn't change.
Like many other families, Kirsten Beary is trying to get through daily life during this pandemic. She has three children between one and 4-years-old. Just recently, the youngest was due for the normal wellness exam and vaccines, but it was canceled. Instead, she was offered a virtual visit.
"It did concern me whenever they suggested they were moving to video, because, you know, whenever we go in the office they are really hands on. And that they’re not doing vaccinations at all right now. So, we did miss those," said Kirsten Beary, a Social Media Assistant and writing contributor with Red Stick Mom.
Ochsner Pediatrician Dr. Michael Wasserman has concerns too, because other parents are skipping scheduled childhood vaccines, saying they are afraid of going to a doctor’s office.
"These are very serious diseases which are preventable, so if we’re worried about coronavirus being a bad disease, and indeed it is, we’ve got a whole bunch of other bad diseases," said Dr. Michael Wasserman, with Ochsner Hospital for Children.
He reminds parents that illnesses such as mumps, measles and whooping cough can cause brain damage, infertility, loss of hearing and death.
"Measles is even more contagious than coronavirus. The droplets can stay in the air in a room for two to four hours," he explained.
Kirsten is with Red Stick Mom and she says vaccinations are not something parents are talking about on the blog. She plans to get her children their vaccines as soon as her doctor in Baton Rouge opens for office exams.
Dr. Wasserman is letting his Metairie patients know that well visits are in a different location from sick patient visits.
"These are things that are important to prevent and I think we take them a little too much for granted, because most people don’t remember having seen epidemics of these diseases," Dr. Wasserman said.
And this epidemic is preventable.
"Please, please, please, don’t defer, don’t delay get your immunizations now," Dr. Wasserman pleaded.
He says doctors have also been asked if a coronavirus vaccine is included in the childhood vaccines. He reminds us that there is still no vaccine for this coronavirus.
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