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Doctors Concerned About Less Children Being Vaccinated

Doctors are concerned over a recent decline in pediatric immunizations. According to studies from the CDC, national vaccine coverage among kindergarten children during the 2020-2021 school year dropped from 95% to lower than 94%. While that might not seem like much, that means 35,000 children more were not vaccinated this year. Dr. Rebecca Sierra is an OSF HealthCare pediatrician in Bloomington, Illinois. She says the downward trend is most likely a side effect of the pandemic. 

 

Dr. Sierra says while her office has not seen a decline in the demand for routine vaccinations. A decrease in vaccination rates could result in fewer communities maintaining herd immunity for preventable diseases like measles mumps and whooping coughs.

 

 

Dr. Sierra says the key to bucking this trend is for parents to keep up with yearly visits.  These visits are important for keeping up with immunizations. This allows pediatricians to remind parents about vaccines and schedules and to address any concerns that parents have. 

 

 

Find out more by talking to your pediatrician or visiting osfhealthcare.org. 

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