Fewer vaccines being given to children during COVID-19 pandemic

AUSTIN, Texas -  According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, fewer vaccines have been given to children since the COVID-19 pandemic was declared a national emergency in March. The CDC warns that this could be putting children at a greater risk for outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases.

Doctors at the Texas Medical Association are advising parents that routine visits are safe and important for their child's health, even as we continue in a pandemic.

Dr. Donald Murphey, who works in pediatric infectious diseases at Dell Children's Medical Center, says missing vaccinations could put your kid's health at risk. He says with things starting to slowly open back up there's a larger risk of children contracting infections that they aren't vaccinated against like whooping cough, measles, and mumps.

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In fact, doctors emphasize the coronavirus pandemic should be a reminder of the importance of pediatric vaccines.

Dr. Murphey says he's glad families are taking COVID-19 serious and have been staying home but he says now is the time to safely catch up on child well visits with immunizations that are behind from the last few months. He says this is especially important before kids are around each other, where infections could spread.

Dr. Murphey encourages families to contact their pediatrician's office to see what COVID-19 protocols they have in place and then schedule appointments that are overdue.

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