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Childhood vaccination rates plummet during pandemic

Vaccination rates for children in Washington have plummeted during the pandemic, according to the Washington Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Pediatricians are urging parent to take their children in to get their vaccinations and catch up.

Data released by Washington State Immunization Information System shows the rates in 2020 compared to an average of the last five years.

The vaccination rates took a dive in March at the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak and in many age groups have just gotten worse.

Dr. John Dunn is the medical director for preventive care at Kaiser Permanente on Capitol Hill, and the chair of Washington Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatric’s Vaccine Committee:

“We have a lot of kids right now who are unprotected and may or may not even be aware of it,” said Dr. Dunn. “These aren’t people who are opposed to have their children vaccinated, these are people who are all for vaccinations and they’ve either forgotten or haven’t been able to make time which I totally understand. In some cases I think they’re a little bit afraid to bring their kids into the clinic.”

Dr. Dunn says they are taking precautions to keep children safe when they visit the doctor’s office.

He says the messaging last March told people only to go to the doctor for important health issues, he says they should have made it clear vaccinations should have been on that list. Doctors never meant to discourage children from getting vaccinated. He says now is the time to bring your children in for a well-check. If necessary, part of the appointment can be done with a virtual visit with arrangements made to come in and get vaccinations.

With remote learning, many schools didn’t require the same paper work for proof of vaccinations.

Now Dr. Dunn worries they could contract illnesses like measles and pertussis, or whooping cough. He also thinks it is likely many children aren’t getting their flu shots.

Dr. Dunn says well-checks allow them to identify other health concerns.

“The only way to find them is if we look, the only way to look is if you bring your children in,” said Dr. Dunn.