Regular childhood vaccinations in the United States slipped during a pandemic

Kindergarten children in the United States were lagging behind regular childhood vaccinations during the pandemic and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Report on ThursdayA slide due to the expert skipping the test and the swell of resistance to the Covid-19 shot, which spilled anxiety about other vaccines.

According to the CDC, during the 2020-21 school year, about 94 percent of kindergarten children were receiving the necessary vaccines, down about 1 percentage point from the previous year. This raised concerns that coverage levels were below the target of 95% and that life-threatening childhood illnesses such as measles could become more prevalent at some point.

Dr. Georgina Peacock, Deputy Director of the CDC’s Immunization Services Division, said in a press conference Thursday, “This is the period when more than 35,000 children were in the United States during this period without a complete vaccination document for common illnesses. It means that you are. ” “This is further evidence that pandemic-related educational and health care disruptions can have protracted consequences for children.”

According to Dr. Peacock, enrollment in kindergartens has also decreased by about 10%. That is, about 400,000 additional children who were expected to attend school but may have been late for routine immunization.

Coverage dropped dramatically in some states, but remained steady in others. For example, in Maryland, it has been reported that measles, mumps and rubella vaccination rates dropped by about 10% among kindergarten children from grade 2019-20 to 2020-21. Wisconsin, Georgia, Wyoming, and Kentucky all reported a decline of about 5 percent.

Idaho had the lowest measles, mumps and rubella vaccine coverage of 86.5% during the 2020-21 school year.

The CDC said coverage has declined in most states. Virginia, Kansas, and Alabama were one of the few states that reported high rates of mumps and rubella vaccines during the last school year.

CDC scientists have found that additional barriers to reporting vaccination data during a pandemic (such as headcount reductions and difficulty gathering information from parents) also artificially reduce the coverage levels recorded in some locations. I emphasized that it may have happened.

Nationally, vaccination rates for measles, mumps and rubella vaccines were slightly below 94%. Diphtheria, tetanus and cell-free pertussis vaccine. Regarding the varicella vaccine, the CDC says.America is already Almost lost its status as a country that lost measles During that year, the country experienced an unusually high number Outbreaks of measles in areas with reduced vaccination levels..

CDC scientists said some pediatricians had avoided contact with Covid’s children during a pandemic, and some families had avoided it. I think I did. Authorities said the disruption to school education, such as the relaxation of immune requirements for distance learners and the strict demands on school nurses, may have contributed to the reduction of vaccination.

Pediatricians said in an interview that these problems also conflicted with increased levels of false alarms for vaccines aimed at injecting coronavirus, and increased resistance to conventional vaccines.

“A high percentage of parents are questioning the usual vaccines,” said Dr. Jason V. Turk, a pediatrician practicing in the suburbs of Dallas, who is also a spokesman for the American Academy of Pediatrics.

“The pandemic experience and the agenda-driven disinformation that was pushed out in connection with the Covid vaccine sparked a fire of distrust and skepticism, a type of new pandemic of hesitation for routine vaccines,” he added. rice field. “

Public health experts also noted the move by several legislatures to create new ones. Limitations on the need for vaccinesAlthough they said many bills are still pending.

A CDC study found no evidence of a surge in families seeking exemptions during a pandemic. In 2020-21, the proportion of kindergarten children who were exempt from one or more required vaccines was 2.2%, similar to the figures reported a year ago. ..

The agency said it estimated vaccination coverage based on numbers provided by a federal-funded immune program to investigate student vaccination and tax exemption status in collaboration with schools and local education departments. .. It was noted that pandemics could impede efforts to collect and report vaccination data, and the 2020-21 national coverage estimates included only 47 of the 50 states and Washington, DC. ..

Signs of reduced immunization rates in childhood Appeared early in the pandemicIncludes reduction of vaccine orders from the state as part of a federal-funded program for uninsured patients.

Dr. Gary Kirchilas, a Phoenix pediatrician who cares for patients whose families are often poor or homeless, says that conversations about vaccines with families of children entering kindergarten are often easy. I did. After all, he said, the shots needed at that age are often effective booster doses of vaccines given at a young age.

However, it is a special level to vaccinate children in families who are transient, unfamiliar with regular medical visits, or distrustful of the medical community. He said he needed attention. Skipping health checks during the pandemic exacerbated these problems, Dr. Kirkilas said.

And while one segment of the family arrived eager to get vaccines to protect children from Covid and other illnesses, another segment was more resistant than ever.

“All the roars and false information that was happening at the time about vaccines for children-such things amplified that particular segment of the family, where” I’m distrustful of the flu vaccine, and then I’m I’m also distrustful of the flu vaccine, and maybe I’m generally starting to distrust the vaccine, “he said.

CDC scientists said they hope that the revival of face-to-face school education will accelerate efforts to keep children catching up with regular vaccines. They advised the school to send reminders to families whose children were late, and said the doctor’s office should warn families that their children were due for additional shots.