Ohio's Child Vaccinations Are Down Due To The Coronavirus Pandemic

Child vaccinations in Ohio dropped dramatically in the first full month after the state shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Fewer than 14,000 children were vaccinated in April. By comparision, in April 2019, about 25,000 children received vaccinations.

The number of vaccinations rose in May, but it's still less than three-quarters of the number of vaccinations in May 2019.

The drop in vaccinations has the medical community concerned. Pediatric Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. Amy Edwards of University Hospitals believes it could lead to the resurgence of some diseases, like measles and mumps.

Edwards speculated that vaccinations are down because parents are afraid to take their kids to the doctor, potentially exposing them to the coronavirus.

"If you think about it from a parent's perspective, if you're locking your kid down in your house and they're not allowed to go out, then is a vaccine necessary anymore?" she said.

Edwards said routine vaccinations are necessary and efforts are being made to assure patients are protected. She said doctor's offices now use virtual check-ins so children and their parents can avoid waiting rooms and staffs do rigorous cleaning.

"I can assure you that your child is at less risk here than at the grocery store, because we are taking extreme measures to keep our patients safe,” Edwards said.

If parents have concerns, she said, they should talk to their child's pediatrician about what their office is doing to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.