Vaccine coverage for children by 2 years of age was lower for those born during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the two previous years, according to a new report.
The declines “could lead to a resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles, varicella, and rotavirus and their associated morbidity and mortality,” researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) wrote in a new Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Children are recommended to receive vaccinations against 15 diseases by 24 months of age. Researchers analyzed data provided by parents and guardians in the National Immunization Survey-Child to look at trends in coverage rates.
Among children born in 2020 and 2021, coverage fell for most vaccines compared to children born in 2018 and 2019. The biggest decline was for two doses of influenza vaccine, which fell from 63% to 56%. A full series of Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccine and the combined seven vaccine series each dropped about three percentage points.
Data from the survey on coverage by 24 months show rates of
- 92% for at least three doses of poliovirus vaccine,
- 91% for at least three doses of hepatitis B vaccine,
- 90% for at least one dose of measles, mumps, rubella vaccine,
- 90% for at least one dose of varicella vaccine,
- 81% for at least four doses of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine,
- 79% for at least four doses of diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis vaccine,
- 77% for a full series of Hib vaccine,
- 75% for rotavirus vaccine by age 8 months,
- 67% for the combined seven vaccine series,
- 56% for at least two doses of influenza vaccine, and
- 46% for at least two doses of hepatitis A vaccine.
Just over 1% of children were completely unvaccinated by 2 years of age.
Children living below the poverty level, uninsured, using public insurance or living in rural areas tended to have lower vaccine coverage than their peers. Children who are Black, Hispanic, American Indian or Alaska Native had lower coverage for several vaccines compared to white children.
Health care disruptions and parental hesitancy may have contributed to some of the declines in vaccination rates. The data come as 262 cases of measles have been reported this year, the highest since 2019, according to CDC data. About 42% of cases this year have been in children under 5 years, and 88% of all patients were unvaccinated or had an unknown vaccination status.
Authors urged clinicians to recommend vaccination to patients at every visit, use reminder systems and address financial barriers and vaccine hesitancy.
“Implementation of these interventions can increase vaccination coverage, reduce disparities, and bring the nation closer to eliminating vaccine-preventable diseases for all young children,” they wrote.
Resources
- Immunization schedules for children and adolescents
- AAP immunization resources
- Information for parents from HealthyChildren.org on recommended immunization schedules
