Kansas City,
24
August
2020
|
13:48 PM
America/Chicago

Kansas City Star: COVID-19 plus measles? Kids aren’t getting their vaccines, and doctors are worried

By Lisa Gutierrez

COVID-19 has infected some of Dr. Sonder Crane’s youngest patients — the newborn who tested positive because its mother had the coronavirus, the 14-month old who caught it at day care.

Now, on top of that, she and other pediatricians across the country worry about this possible scenario: Outbreaks of preventable diseases, like highly contagious measles, because children have missed getting their immunizations during the pandemic.

“It’s a concern because we’re in the middle of a global pandemic and we’re approaching the fall, cold and flu season,” said Crane, who works at Children’s Mercy West pediatric clinic in Kansas City, Kansas.

“We’re going to start seeing people get sick from regular stuff. And if you throw in unvaccinated children, we’re developing into other areas that could start other outbreaks, other pandemics."

“We’ve had outbreaks of measles, pertussis and whooping cough. I don’t really want to go through that again. I don’t think anyone does.”

Health professionals have watched immunization rates drop across the country by as much as 40% to 50% since the beginning of the pandemic as parents — some because of stay-at-home orders, some out of fear — stopped taking their kids to the doctor.

The Immunization Coalition has scheduled free flu shot clinics on the Kansas and Missouri side this fall, beginning Oct. 1 at Kansas City Kansas Community College.

 

Read the full story via the Kansas City Star

Learn more about Infectious Diseases at Children's Mercy