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If you’re like many people still feeling the stressful aftermath from the height of the COVID pandemic, the word “vaccine” can elicit memories of panicked feelings, bitter debates, and worry. In fact, whether the blame can be tied to vaccination fatigue, or vaccination wariness, or general difficulty with receiving routine medical care during the pandemic, an alarming number of children, adolescents, and adults missed one or more vaccinations in 2020 and 2021. As if you needed one more thing to add to your “because of COVID” list!

Here’s a breakdown of what happened: 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2021 there were an estimated 25 million children who missed at least one routine vaccine, and 18 million who received no vaccines at all that year.

And according to UNICIF, 23 million children worldwide missed out on routine vaccinations in 2020, which is over 3.5 million more than the previous year. UNICEF also published a study earlier this month that during the entire COVID pandemic period 52 out of the 55 countries they surveyed indicate that the public trust of all vaccines diminished significantly. UNICEF’s latest estimate for the grand total number of kids who missed out on a routine vaccination during the entire duration of the pandemic falls at around 67 million.

Younger kids weren’t the only ones who missed vaccines; it’s estimated that teenagers and adults missed more than 37 million routine vaccines during the COVID pandemic.

These missed vaccinations can result in serious complications and illness outbreaks. In fact, in 2021 and 2022 there were unprecedented outbreaks of polio in countries with lower vaccine rates. And it’s believed that more outbreaks of preventable diseases will come of this period of decreased routine vaccines given.

Because this issue is so important to us at Fountain Hills Medical Center, we aim to normalize routine vaccinations again, and educate our patients about their importance.

So why DO you need to get regular immunizations?

• Routine, recommended vaccines not only protect you and your family in the short-term, but in the long-term also.
• The immunization schedule recommended by your doctor is no accident – it’s designed to see how your child responds to various vaccines before progressing to the next. It also prevents diseases before an age when exposure could lead to serious complications. For example, delaying the whooping cough vaccine could lead to a very serious, or deadly, illness.
• This vaccine schedule was developed in 1995 by a host of experts including Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). Today, ACIP meets three times per year to review the vaccine schedule and update it as needed.
• Keeping current on vaccine schedules helps others, too. You and your family being immunized helps keep your community healthy. It also helps keep those who cannot be vaccinated as healthy as possible.

April 24-30 this year is World Immunization Week, and we thought it was a perfect opportunity to raise awareness about the great importance of getting routine vaccines. And if you’ve missed some along the way? No problem – now is the perfect time to get caught up. Make an appointment at our primary care clinic, or walk in, and we’ll get you and your health back on track.

We know some of our patients may have questions or concerns about immunizations, and we’d love to answer all your questions. Our team of area medical experts are well-versed in vaccine topics, and would love to talk with you. 

Resources:

• Unicef.org
• Cdc.gov
• Nbcnews.com
• Cnn.com
• Healthpartners.com