News & Views: Are You Still Vaccinating During the Coronavirus Pandemic?
Published on in Vaccine Update for Healthcare Providers
Published on in Vaccine Update for Healthcare Providers
As many communities are shuttered in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19, a new, and potentially deadly, situation could be “teeing up.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) are working to prevent it from becoming a reality. The concern — a cohort of children falling behind on routine immunizations.
The novel coronavirus pandemic is wreaking havoc on every aspect of daily life, and the situation is even more nuanced when it comes to seeking healthcare:
Unfortunately, taken together, these factors are creating a situation in which many children may be missing well visits and, therefore, routine vaccinations. Given that most vaccine-preventable pathogens still circulate at low levels, and considering the opportunistic nature of pathogens in general, having a large population of unimmunized, or under-immunized, children could mean that as communities begin to return to normal, we experience an increase in outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases (VPD).
To get a sense of this very real possibility, take a look at provisional VPD reports to the CDC between January and March 2020*, which show that many of these diseases were circulating:
*CDC data through March 28, 2020
In an effort to address this potential, the CDC, AAP and AAFP have developed guidance (See “Resources” section for links) for providers. Specifically, these organizations are recommending a stratified approach to vaccinations during this period:
These organizations, as well as other individuals and organizations, have offered the following suggestions for safely implementing the recommendations, particularly related to children less than 2 years of age:
In addition to implementing procedures that enable young children to be safely vaccinated, providers may also consider the following:
Contributed by: Charlotte A. Moser, MS, Paul A. Offit, MD
Categories: Vaccine Update April 2020, News and Views About Vaccines
Materials in this section are updated as new information and vaccines become available. The Vaccine Education Center staff regularly reviews materials for accuracy.
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