Routine childhood vaccination rates have declined since 2019, causing some concern among local health care authorities.
“Vaccine administration in 0- to 18-year-olds remains below pre-pandemic levels, and efforts should focus on promoting routine vaccinations for all children and adolescents,” the Washington State Department of Health wrote in a report released in May.
The report found between June 2019 and December 2021, the percentage of fully vaccinated children decreased in all categories except for teens ages 13 to 17, which saw a 0.6 percentage point increase. Fully vaccinated toddlers 19 to 35 months old decreased by 8.1 percentage points; 4- to 6-year-olds fell 2.8 percentage points and 11- to 12-year-olds saw a 4.2 percentage point decrease, according to the report.
“The numbers are concerning,” Clark County Public Health Director Dr. Alan Melnick said. “Vaccines are really important at preventing communicable diseases.”
Data also showed a significant drop in individual vaccine doses administered in 2020, due to fewer routine medical appointments during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the report. As the pandemic has eased, routine visits are increasing again, as are vaccination rates, according to Melnick.
“Based on our numbers, and based on national numbers, kids are not up-to-date on their childhood vaccines,” said Dr. Katie Sharff, chief of infectious disease at Kaiser Permanente Northwest. “We have a lot of kids that are under-immunized.”
Both Melnick and Sharff pointed to decades of monitoring and data collection to prove that the routine childhood vaccinations are safe and effective.
“This is one of the best things we do in medicine,” Melnick said. “Vaccines are the number one thing that has increased life expectancy.”
He recommends that parents who have concerns about vaccines should talk to a pediatrician.
“I have the opportunity to educate and really build a relationship with parents that have some significant vaccine hesitancy,” said Dr. Curtis McDonald, a pediatrician at the Vancouver Clinic. “I think the main things I would say is just encouraging parents to talk to their pediatrician, open the lines of communication, ask questions. We are here to help.”
For more information on recommended vaccines talk to your pediatrician or visit cdc.gov/vaccines.
