Vaccination rates for children drop during COVID-19 pandemic

CLEVELAND — As families abide by stay-at-home measures, national data show that many children are missing out on crucial vaccines.

According to Dr. Kimberly Giuliano of Cleveland Clinic Children's, experts believe COVID-19 fears likely are keeping many parents from bringing their children in for immunizations.

"The national data does show that certain vaccination rates have dropped considerably over the past several weeks when the COVID pandemic started," Dr. Giuliano said. "Depending on the source and the vaccine type, it's anywhere from about 42 to 73 percent declines compared to the weeks leading up to the pandemic."

Dr. Giuliano said children, especially the very young, need to stay on schedule with their immunizations.

Despite the prevalence of COVID-19, viruses that pose a greater danger to young children are still out there.

"They do not have the immunity that the rest of us have, and there are other diseases out there right now, other than COVID," she said. "Measles exists in the community, pertussis exists in the community, and these diseases can be fatal to children."

Dr. Giuliano reminds parents that fortunately, very young children don't appear to be getting very sick from COVID-19 infections. So the benefit of having a child vaccinated against other deadly diseases is still very significant, even though we are in the middle of a pandemic.

If parents are unsure about bringing their child to the doctor's office — for any reason — she said it's always best to call ahead.

"If you have any concern whatsoever, call your doctor's office first," Dr. Giuliano said. "They will tell you if it's something that can be safely managed at home, or if it's something that your child should be evaluated for."

This story was originally published May 18, 2020 at 4:34 AM with the headline "Vaccination rates for children drop during COVID-19 pandemic."