Rutgers pediatricians warn about flu vaccination reduction, vaccination of children

Recently Health survey Only two-thirds of parents said they would be vaccinated against their children this year, raising concerns among pediatricians when the flu season began, and some schools reopened for face-to-face learning. , The number of cases of COVID-19 will increase rapidly.

Two Rutgers New Jersey Medical College pediatricians and associate professor of pediatrics Joseph Schwab and Hanan A. Tanuos, director of primary care and associate professor of pediatrics, update children and adults with vaccinations in coronavirus Talk about the importance of staying in the state of crisis.

How did COVID-19 affect children’s influenza vaccination and immunization rates?

Although it is difficult to obtain a real-time localized number, pediatricians participating in Vaccines for Children have been vaccinated during the first few months of a pandemic where many clinics canceled or postponed direct visits. Reduced implementation. Now that school has resumed, more children are receiving routine immunizations, but we have not fully recovered.

This year we are particularly concerned about influenza and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on influenza immunization rates.Recently Investigation We found that the impact of COVID-19 on parents’ decision to vaccinate their children with influenza was very different. About one-third of parents said the pandemic made them less likely to get the flu vaccine this year, and another one-third said they were more likely to get the flu vaccine. The most important factor was whether they were vaccinated against the flu last year. Due to the historically low rates of influenza vaccination in our area, we need effective ways to increase our confidence in vaccination.

How important are flu shots and vaccinations for children during a pandemic as we head into the flu season?

As a basis of public health practices, routine immunization protects children from important vaccine-preventable illnesses. Anything that reduces vaccination coverage in the community not only puts individual patients at risk, but also sets the stage for infection, outbreaks in the community or a wider epidemic. This is especially true for influenza. Influenza causes many serious illnesses, hospitalizations and deaths each year, even when routine immunization is available.

This can add to the burden on the already overloaded healthcare system that seeks to provide care during a pandemic. This is why we advocate maintaining high immunization rates, especially among children, even during the COVID-19 pandemic. In New Jersey, children have the same vaccination requirements for attending school, whether they attend school directly or online.

If a sufficient number of children are not vaccinated, how will it affect the potential second wave of COVID-19 in the coming months?

The greatest fear is an increase in illness. Without vaccination, events such as recent measles outbreaks in some communities could become more common. Decreased vaccination against whooping cough or whooping cough can lead to more cases of this potentially catastrophic disease among our youngest patients.

Moreover, even within the scope of typical vaccinations each year, influenza results in a huge number of patients of all ages requiring emergency and inpatient care, including ICU care. Adding this burden to the hospital during the potential second wave of COVID-19 can result in a worse scenario than what was seen during the first wave.

What can parents do to ensure that their children are vaccinated during this pandemic?

Parents need to be aware of recommended vaccination schedules and vaccination status for their children. You should contact your primary care provider and schedule a routine immunization visit at the recommended safe time. They should especially ask about the flu vaccine and vaccinate the whole family as soon as possible before the flu becomes established in our area.

Children under the age of 9 who have never been vaccinated against the flu should be vaccinated twice every 30 days. Families with babies under 6 months can protect their babies by immunizing the entire family. This is called a cocoon. People over the age of 65 can be vaccinated with high doses this year. This reduces the ability to respond to the vaccine and thus enhances protection.

Parents who are concerned about side effects or the effectiveness of the vaccine should consult their healthcare provider. Reliable providers are the best source of reliable information for all medical needs, including vaccination.

How do doctors help fix this problem?

The American Academy of Pediatrics encourages all children to be routinely vaccinated during this pandemic. Many healthcare providers and even the health sector in some areas had to close their offices early in the COVID-19 pandemic, but most are now open and vaccinated children. You can do it.

Parents were also afraid to take their children to the clinic during this time. We hope to take advantage of the reduced COVID-19 infection rate in New Jersey and go to the provider’s office for vaccination. Due to the additional burden of insurance restrictions, only the listed primary care provider of the patient can receive a refund to provide vaccination.

Work to make vaccinations available and readily available, to educate families, encourage children to look for vaccines, and ensure that measures are taken to ensure patient safety. You need to do.

The COVID-19 crisis is a rapidly evolving situation that requires continuous communication between healthcare providers, public health authorities, insurance companies and families.

We need to embrace new strategies to streamline vaccine delivery. Patients with delayed vaccines should be prioritized and strategies such as vaccine-only visits should be used to protect more patients as soon as possible. This is especially true for influenza vaccinations, especially in this COVID-19.