A decline in pediatric visits during the pandemic has put many children behind the curve on routine vaccinations, a trend that could put the community at risk.
Dr. Sayeed Khan, a pediatrician at Norton Children’s Fern Creek, said even a small amount of exposure could expose your children to infectious diseases that they weren’t worried about, such as pertussis, hepatitis A, meningitis and others.
Khan said measles, mumps, rubella, and chickenpox, as well as pneumococcal viruses, these are important vaccines that kids need to get.
According to Norton Healthcare, there are more than 36,000 kids who are Norton patients in Jefferson and surrounding counties who are behind on their vaccinations. While many of these were pre-COVID, the pandemic hasn’t helped these numbers. Doctors say they are confident that the total number of children not up to date on vaccinations is much higher.
Though it is not clear what the new school year will bring, it is very important that everyone is prepared, especially since some vaccines require multiple doses for full protection.
Pediatricians stress it is safe to take your child for a wellness check. Keep in mind that children have to meet certain vaccination requirements in order to go back to school when that does happen. If you wait until the last minute, it could make getting into your child’s doctor’s office challenging.
Khan also said that because it’s not known what COVID-19 will look like in the fall, you should get your child’s flu shot in September or October.
Source: WAVE
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