August 26, 2021; Tommy Havell, Director, Provider Solutions
The COVID-19 pandemic has driven a significant decline in routine well-child visits across the United States. Staying home to stop the spread means many families missed out on essential immunizations for their children. The CDC has found that compared to 2019, there has been a 14% drop in vaccine orders, and more than a 20% drop in orders of measles vaccine.
As many schools and daycares open for in-person learning in the fall, it is more imperative now than ever to make sure that children are on track to receive their age-appropriate vaccines. Vaccines stop preventable diseases from being spread. According to the CDC, for children born from 1994-2018, vaccinations will prevent an estimated 936,000 early deaths, 8 million hospitalizations, and 419 million illnesses. Vaccines are a safe, effective, and easy way to keep our children safe, and increasing vaccination rates will take efforts from families, schools, and health care providers. Together, we can strive to eradicate preventable diseases to keep children and families safe.
We all can:
- Spread true, helpful information about the importance of well-child visits and age-appropriate vaccinations.
- Do our part to get the children in our life caught up on the recommended immunizations.
Schools can:
- Encourage compliance with recommended doses by communicating with families about school immunization requirements.
- Follow up with specific families who are behind on doses to encourage them to get their children vaccinated.
- Educate both caregivers and students about the safety of vaccines to reassure families and prevent misinformation and fear about vaccines.
Health care organizations can:
- Keep families informed about the health provider’s safety measures during the pandemic, so they can ensure their well-visits will be safe.
- Keep providers informed about their patient’s immunization record so they can communicate directly with caregivers about their children’s recommended vaccine schedule.
- Identify families whose children are not up to date on recommended immunizations and contact them to schedule appointments.
i2i’s PHM solutions support health care organizations through patient engagement, outreach, and education, as well as vaccination monitoring and tracking, and many other valuable care coordination features. Reach out to us today for more information.
Click here to view the 2021 recommended vaccine schedule for children from birth 6 years of age.