Many children missed routine vaccinations during the pandemic. How to get them caught up
Much of the recent conversation about immunizations and kids has surrounded whether or not they’re eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
But, experts say, there’s another important angle to be addressed: the number of kids who’ve fallen behind on their other immunizations against diseases such as chicken pox and measles.
It’s a problem that’s been observed around the world, including in Charlotte, which leaves kids vulnerable to serious medical issues.
Here’s what to know about why kids are falling behind on vaccinations, the potential consequences and how to make sure they are on track to stay healthy:
How COVID fueled kids falling behind on vaccines
From the early days of the pandemic, COVID-19 disrupted access to health care around the world, the World Health Organization and UNICEF found.
“As access to health services and immunization outreach were curtailed, the number of children not receiving even their very first vaccinations increased in all regions,” the groups said in a report on the subject.
Those disruptions amounted to as many as 23 million children missing “basic vaccines through routine immunization services in 2020.” That was “3.7 million more than in 2019.”
Data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control shows evidence of the problem on a national scale, with “a 14% drop” reported in vaccine ordering and a 20% drop in measles vaccinations alone.
Dr. Lyn Nuse, senior medical director of pediatric primary care at Atrium Health Levine Children’s, said Charlotte hasn’t been immune from the issue.
“Understandably, people were very cautious about coming into any kind of health care facility, especially a doctor’s office, you know, where traditionally you have waiting rooms and there’s a lot of sick children around,” she told The Charlotte Observer.
The issue those delays in vaccination create, she explained, is that vaccines are recommended for babies, kids and teens at certain ages for a reason.
“The thing with vaccines is they are timed, really, to match when your child is most in need of that protection. But they are also timed to get the optimal immune system response, and that means you have to have your first dose to know when your second dose is to then know when your third dose is,” she said. “They’re all related to each other.”
How to get your kids caught up on vaccines
The good news for Charlotte families, Nuse said, is that “even if you’re behind on your vaccine schedule, we can catch you up.”
“The CDC has a very well outlined schedule for how to catch children up if they get a little behind. And most of the time, we can catch children up fairly quickly, so that they have their full protection on board from all of the childhood illnesses,” she explained.
Her “best advice,” she added, is to get in touch with your child’s pediatrician as soon as possible to get the ball rolling on the process of getting back on schedule.
“We can sit down with you and talk through what is the best plan to meet your child’s individual needs,” she said.
If money is an issue, there are options for getting help paying for vaccines whether or not you have health insurance.
“The majority of insurances — including commercial (providers) and Medicaid — provide free wellness care or a limited copay for wellness care,” Nuse said.
North Carolina also “provides free vaccines for children who are on Medicaid or who do not have vaccination coverage at all,” she added. “So that would include people who are cash-paying and don’t have insurance and even those families whose individual insurance plan may not include vaccinations.”
This story was originally published April 25, 2022 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Many children missed routine vaccinations during the pandemic. How to get them caught up."
