'Serious Children's Health Issue:' Vaccines Down In NJ

NEW JERSEY - A precipitous drop in childhood vaccinations in the Garden State prompted a plea from New Jersey Department of Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli during Tuesday's COVID-19 briefing. Vaccinate your kids.

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"I want to focus on a serious children's health issue," she said at the top of her portion of the briefing. "While staying at home has slowed the spread of the virus, it has also it has also caused delays and decreases in the number of children getting recommended vaccines."

Like the rest of the nation, New Jersey has seen a dramatic in vaccine doses ordered and administered between March and April of this year, as compared to the same period last year. According to the New Jersey Immunization Information System, there has been a 40 percent decline in pediatric vaccines administered to children aged two or younger and a 60 percent decrease in vaccinations for children greater than two years of age.

"The need to protect children from serious childhood diseases, like whooping cough, doesn't disappear during the COVID-19 public health emergency" Judy Persichilli said. "Well-child visits and vaccinations are essential services and help insure children are protected against deadly vaccine preventable diseases like tetanus, measles, mumps and influenza type B."

Persichilli said her Department is encouraging all healthcare providers to follow the CDC, the American Academy of Pediatricians and the American Academy of Family Physician guidelines to continue vaccinating patients whenever possible by considering some of the following strategies:

• schedule well visits in the morning and sick visits in the afternoon
• collaborate with providers in the community to identify separate locations for well visits

Persichilli said practitioners should consider novel approaches for vaccinations such as curbside vaccinations and information sharing on patient safety.

"If a pediatrician or family practice can provide only a limited number of well child visits, healthcare providers are encouraged to prioritize newborn care and vaccination of infants and young children, through 24 months of age, whenever possible," she said. "Last year more than 1,200 individual cases of measles were confirmed in 31 states. There were 19 confirmed cases of measles in New Jersey."

Persichilli said noted that insuring access to vaccinations is an important part of maintaining the public's health.

"I want to urge parents, grandparents and other caregivers to contact your healthcare provider and find out what special measures are in place for you to safely schedule a well child visit
so your children can catch up on their vaccinations," she said.

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