Child vaccinations drop in COVID-19 pandemic, creating a new outbreak risk, study says

Vaccinations of children appear to have dropped substantially in the U.S. during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new study.

It’s creating a new risk in the country, experts say.

Routine vaccinations have declined since the federal government declared a national emergency in March, according to the study by the CDC and other institutions. Pediatricians have worried that parents skipping doctor appointments out of fear of catching COVID-19 will miss scheduled immunizations.

The researchers analyzed two data sources: a federally funded program that provides vaccines to about half the country’s children and CDC data from eight large health care organizations.

The data show a “notable decrease” in vaccines ordered by health care providers following the emergency declaration to late April. Childhood vaccine orders, not including flu vaccines, dropped by about 2.5 million from March 13 to April 19, according to the study. At least 200,000 fewer vaccines for measles were ordered in the same time period.

“Routine immunizations in young children are critical to maintain during the pandemic,” Kathryn Edwards, a pediatrician and scientific director of the Vanderbilt Vaccine Research Program in Nashville, told Stat News. “The usual childhood diseases are still around and we need to protect our children from them.”

The drop in routine immunizations could lead to outbreaks of diseases that are preventable, authors of the study said.

“Parental concerns about potentially exposing their children to COVID-19 during well child visits might contribute to the declines observed,” the authors wrote. “To the extent that this is the case, reminding parents of the vital need to protect their children against serious vaccine-preventable diseases, even as the COVID-19 pandemic continues, is critical.”

It presents another challenge for health care officials: ensuring children behind on immunizations get up to date.

“Continued coordinated efforts between health care providers and public health officials at the local, state, and federal levels will be necessary to achieve rapid catch-up vaccination,” the authors wrote.

This story was originally published May 8, 2020 at 6:33 PM with the headline "Child vaccinations drop in COVID-19 pandemic, creating a new outbreak risk, study says."