Routine childhood immunization rates dropped during pandemic

Immunization rates for routine childhood vaccinations dropped by five to six per cent for children under age five during the pandemic, according to information provided to Saltwire by the Department of Health and Community Services.

Those routine vaccinations include those that protect against measles, mumps, rubella, varicella, meningococcal disease, rotavirus, pneumococcal disease, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, and Haemophilus influenzae Type B infection.

“The rate of vaccinations in children under age 5 declined slightly by five to six per cent over the pandemic years compared to previous years, but we still observed higher than 90 per cent coverage rates in the early childhood immunizations in that age group for 2021-22,” the department said in an email.

The department said the drop was likely due to multiple factors.

“There was some attributable to Public Health resources being diverted to pandemic response resulting in interruptions to child vaccination clinic schedules. Public Health measures put in place to reduce COVID19 spread impacted the child health clinics as well,” the department said.

“There may have been reluctance on the part of parents to bring their small children to clinics, due to fear surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. Public Health is working through any outstanding vaccinations so that children are up to date prior to school entry and our rates were still above 90 per cent even through the pandemic.”

The department said it can be challenging to determine the accuracy of information related to vaccines, particularly online.

“Parents are encouraged to speak to a public health nurse or their health care provider with questions they may have related to vaccines. If reading information online, it is important to ensure the site being used is credible,” the department said.

Reliable online resources include Health Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada, and the National Advisory Committee on Immunization.