Routine Vaccinations Plummet in US During COVID-19 Crisis

A study by Santoli et al. is showing that there has been a sharp drop in ordering of routine non-influenza and measles-containing vaccines since the national state of emergency was declared over COVID-19. There was also a very worrisome drop in the administration of measles-containing vaccine. Parental concerns about COVID-19 have produced a sharp drop-off in routine well check exams leaving many pediatric offices nearly empty. The drop-off in measles vaccination has been much greater for kids over two years of age but both age groups have been significantly impacted. The trend is slowly reversing but the risk of a pediatric disease outbreak is growing every day as vaccines become more and more delayed. Measles vaccination rates need to be maintained at around 95 percent to prevent outbreaks so whenever a significant portion of the pediatric population is delayed with their shots, measles could take hold and spread. Rates in the US are already worrisomely low coming in at 91.5% with some states below 90%. A measles outbreak on top of our current COVID-19 pandemic could be devastating to kids and cause further strain on a critically ill economy.

Pediatric offices have made major changes to assuage parental fears of contracting SARS-CoV-2. Most practices offer telehealth visits for the physician portion of the well-child visit. When in-person visits are required, many offices now have blocked-off the morning for well patients with comprehensive cleaning between visits and before the sick visits in the afternoon. Many offices have closed waiting rooms and instead call families in from their cars when it’s time for their appointment. While protecting against COVID-19 is important for families, it’s vital that we quickly bump up our vaccination rates and provide catch-up vaccination for those behind or we risk preventable outbreaks on top of a pandemic. Contact your child’s pediatrician or pediatric care provider to see how you can get your child’s well check and vaccines taken care of so that they’re fully protected.