Walensky asked parents to ensure that their children are up to date with vaccines.
“Vaccination on time during childhood is essential because it helps to provide immunity before children are exposed to life-threatening illnesses. During the pandemic, we saw substantial drops in pediatric consultations and, because of that, the CDC’s orders for vaccinations children decreased by about 11 million doses – a substantial and historic decline, “said Walensky on Friday.
“While we work to get our kids back to school, we certainly don’t want to find other preventable infectious outbreaks, like measles and mumps. When planning your child’s safe return to daycare or school programs, consult your child’s doctor to make sure make sure they are up to date with their vaccines, “said Walensky. “If they are left behind, they can be caught following the CDC vaccination schedule, available on the CDC website.”
The CDC recommends that children receive 14 different vaccinations, protecting against 19 different pathogens. Timing is important for many of the vaccines to build the strongest immunity.
The first signs appeared around the spring of last year, that childhood vaccinations have fallen since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. For example, a study published in May by the CDC found that the number of childhood vaccines administered in Michigan fell by up to 22% amid the coronavirus pandemic.
These findings published less than two weeks after another CDC report showed that childhood vaccinations have plummeted in the United States since the pandemic began.