Washington Sees Drop In Immunization Rates During Coronavirus

OLYMPIA, WA — Immunization rates among children have seen a significant drop in Washington during the coronavirus pandemic, according to state health data.

In March, Washington's Child Vaccine Program reported 30% fewer vaccines administered to babies, toddlers and young people up to 18 years old. In April, preliminary data showed an even steeper decline: 42% below the year prior.

The decline in vaccinations runs parallel to a similar national trend recently reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"We are concerned that babies and kids aren't getting all the vaccines they need to protect them," said Dr. Kathy Lofy, state health officer. "Decreasing vaccinations increases the risk that we could see an outbreak of a vaccine-preventable disease."

Parents and legal guardians are encouraged to make appoints as soon as possible for any immunizations their child has missed in recent months.

"We don't want to have an epidemic of measles, pertussis or meningitis or a lot of the other common things that we immunize against," said Dr. Tom Courtney, a pediatrician at the UW Neighborhood Kent-Des Moines Clinic. "These are some pretty serious diseases. COVID is something that we worry a lot about, are concerned about, but we don't want any of these diseases to happen on top of what's already going on."

Besides vaccinations, doctors worry that kids could be missing critical appointments for other health concerns.

"Developmental things we would be concerned about would be early forms of autism or developmental delays that would be responding to early therapy, the earlier the better," Courtney said. "If those were neglected for several months or even a year it could have [a] dramatic impact on the future of the child."

Courtney said some parents may be worried about visiting a hospital or clinic, due to potential coronavirus exposure. There are a few ways to minimize risk as much as possible.

"The best time to come into the clinic is generally first thing in the morning," Courtney said. "The reason is the clinic's been deep cleaned overnight so there shouldn't be anybody who has the virus that's coming into the clinic. We've done the social distancing at the front desk to make sure you're at least six feet away."

Some clinics have also instituted "virtual waiting rooms," where patients can wait in the car until called upon, and offer special hours for vulnerable infants and toddlers.