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Vaccination rates drop amid pandemic
Taking your healthy child to the doctor's office may seem rather counterintuitive during the COVID-19 pandemic. Physicians nationwide, however, are urging parents not to postpone their children's’ wellness checks.
ROCKVILLE, Md. (FOX 5 DC) - Taking your healthy child to the doctor's office may seem rather counterintuitive during the COVID-19 pandemic. Physicians nationwide, however, are urging parents not to postpone their children's’ wellness checks.
Health records company PCC surveyed a thousand pediatricians nationwide and found since mid-February the administration of measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria and whooping cough, and HPV vaccines has plummeted. That means millions of kids could be put at risk of exposure to preventable disease.
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Dr. Maiya Clark with Sunshine Pediatrics in Silver Spring says she understands the concerns about COVID-19 spread but her office is doing everything they can to reduce the risk.
“We are wearing masks, doing well visits in the morning and separating them from sick visits in the evening. We are also doing a lot of tele-visits for sick kids to keep them out of the office," said Clar.
Doctor Joey Mechak with Potomac Pediatrics in Rockville says it’s also important to screen for mental health, chronic illness and developmental delays because the difference of just a few months in diagnosing can make a big impact.
Mechak tells FOX 5 Potomac Pediatrics is actually offering drive-up vaccines for any child in the area whose parents don’t feel comfortable going inside an office.
If you contact them to set up an appointment, they’ll send the records to your pediatrician. They say it’s important to keep the herd immunity strong against disease to keep all kids safe.
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