COVID-19 has led to fewer measles vaccinations for kids
Experts are encouraging parents to keep up with their children’s wellness visits during the pandemic 12/17/2020
Photo (c) Manjurul - Getty ImagesA new study conducted by researchers from Nationwide Children’s Hospital is exploring how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected parents’ decision to vaccinate their kids against the measles.
According to their findings, the overall rate of measles vaccinations has dropped 10 percent since the start of the pandemic. The researchers explained that many parents have pushed off kids’ wellness visits which is where they’d typically receive these vaccines because of fears related to the pandemic. Unfortunately, skipping these visits could ultimately contribute to other health concerns.
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One consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic is that more families are putting off their children s preventive care visits, causing pediatric providers to worry about missed vaccines.
In a recent study published in
Pediatrics, researchers at Nationwide Children s Hospital evaluated changes in measles vaccination rates from before the pandemic to this summer, when return for clinical care was encouraged. Finding a steep and lasting decline, the researchers are making efforts to improve timely vaccination and provide safe catch-up opportunities to children in their pediatric primary care network. We have seen a resurgence of measles outbreaks in the U.S. and here in Ohio in recent years because fewer people have chosen to immunize, said the study s lead author Sara Bode, MD, a primary care pediatrician and medical director of Nationwide Children s Care Connection School-Based Health and Mobile Clinics. We were concerned that with the pandemic, vaccination rates could fall