Vaccination rates in the US have plummeted amid COVID-19, something experts warn could lead to the next pandemic of dangerous and preventable childhood diseases.
A new national survey by Orlando Health finds that two-thirds of parents are still nervous to take their kids to their pediatrician's office due to COVID-19.
However, the vast majority of parents (84 per cent) still believe vaccines are the best way to protect their children from infectious diseases,
"It is imperative that parents keep their routine wellness visits with their child's pediatrician," said Alix Casler, a pediatrician and chair of the Department of Pediatrics for Orlando Health Physician Associates. "While we are doing as many visits as possible virtually, coming in for vaccinations is important not only for protecting your child, but also to preserve the herd against these terrible diseases."
Like many physicians, Casler has put protocols in place at her practice to keep patients as safe as possible. Some of these include seeing one family at a time, having patients wait in their cars rather than a waiting room and implementing COVID-19 screenings, putting patients and parents at ease and making them more likely to keep their appointments.
"All it will take is a case of measles entering our community and we will see loss of life that is completely and totally unnecessary," said Casler. "It can be hard for people to grasp just how important universal vaccinations are because they've never seen how devastating these diseases can be. Measles and whooping cough outbreaks are a thing of the past thanks to vaccines, and we'd like to keep it that way."
The survey also found that skepticism about vaccines is a major issue, with 38 percent of parents responding that they don't believe their child needs all the vaccines recommended by their pediatrician.
"The only reason that we have herd immunity against so many diseases is because upwards of 90 to 95 percent of children are vaccinated," Casler said. "Once we drop below that level, no one will be presumed safe."
Casler says it is also very important for the whole family to get their flu shots as soon as possible this season. "We're hoping that people will be lining up to get their flu shots so we can at least take something off of the table in terms of very serious illness as the nation continues to battle this pandemic."
