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Child Immunizations Down During Pandemic

A gloved hand delivers a vaccine into the arm of a boy wearing a black bandana, sunglasses, and earphones.
AP Photo/Steve Helber
/
Associated Press

Orders for vaccines and child immunizations have dropped during the pandemic, according to a nurse supervisor with the Richmond and Henrico Health Districts.

“There's been some reporting that childhood immunization rates definitely dropped during the pandemic as a result of new barriers and accessing healthcare,” said LaWanda Dunn, a Nurse Supervisor with the Richmond and Henrico Health Districts.

“About 96% of children in public schools were adequately vaccinated in accordance with the CDC recommendations in the fall of 2019. However, in the fall of 2020 that fell to about 88%.”

Virginia is on the cusp of reaching President Biden's goal for Covid Vaccinations. 69.6% of adults in the state have gotten at least one dose. Biden wanted 70% to have one by the Fourth of July, but is likely to fall short, according to the Associated Press. Catching up on childhood immunizations represent just one of the vaccine-related public health challenges as the pandemic wanes.

Amy Popovich, the health districts' nurse manager, said that data is still being collected about whether booster shots for those already vaccinated against Covid will be necessary.

“The good news is we have infrastructure should that be the case,” she said. “We have the infrastructure through our partners, through our pharmacies, [and] through our primary care physicians, just like we do with flu shots.

COVID vaccines can be given alongside other immunizations, like the flu shot. Keeping immunity up is particularly important given variants. Friday the CDC director said the Delta variant could become the most prevalent variant in the US.

This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.

Jahd Khalil is a reporter and producer in Richmond.
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