Hickory – COVID-19 disrupted many aspects of normal life, including routine well-child visits for many children over the last year. As a result, some children have fallen behind on receiving recommended vaccines and vaccines required for school, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. We all want our kids to be back in school safely, and that means getting caught up on vaccines that were missed over the last year.
The CDC is estimating there has been about a 14% drop in overall childhood vaccinations in 2020-21 compared to the previous year, and a 20% drop in measles vaccination.
“As our community’s families continue moving toward normalcy and prepare to head back to school in the fall, it is important for children to be caught up on routine vaccinations, as this provides protection against many childhood illnesses such as measles, mumps, polio, whooping cough, meningitis and more,” said Catawba County School Health Supervisor Jennifer Lindsay. “These vaccinations help get everyone off to a healthy start.”
Children and teens entering Kindergarten, 7th grade and 11th grade have immunizations the state requires for school attendance. Students entering schools in North Carolina for the first time should also have a completed health assessment.
“Well-child visits are important not only for vaccinations, but also to ensure that children are growing and developing into healthy adults,” said Lindsay. “This helps protect our community’s children and gets them started in school with their best foot forward.”
More information on routine childhood and COVID-19 vaccines for children and teens: Call Catawba County Public Health’s Immunizations Clinic at 828-695-5881.
