Student immunizations slowed by pandemic
A nurse jabbed 5-year-old Khrei Harris three times during Thursday’s immunization clinic at Merrillville High school. She didn’t flinch.
The John Wood Elementary kindergartener received a polio shot, one that covered diphtheria, tetanus and whopping cough, and her final COVID-19 vaccination.
She sat quietly munching on a lollipop as her mom, Brooke Harris, marveled at her stamina.
“She got them all in the same arm,” she said. “She’s all up to date now.”
While a recently released national test underscored the devastating learning loss from the pandemic, students have also fallen behind on their immunizations.
The American Academy of Pediatrics said about 25 million children around the globe missed childhood immunizations in 2021, the largest decrease in 30 years.
The organization said U.S. immunization rates dropped to 94% in 2020 from 95%.
The Centers for Disease Control cited the decline, but said a rebound began as families began returning to doctors’ offices and clinics. The CDC also changed its guidelines, recommending providers offer coronavirus vaccines on the same day as other immunizations.
Earlier in the summer, State Health Commissioner Dr. Kristina M. Box, and Secretary of Education Katie Jenner sent a letter to school administrators and nurses alerting them to a 10% reduction in childhood vaccination rates in the past two years.
“This puts our students at greater risk for diseases such as measles, mumps, chicken pox, and many others,” they said.
State law requires parents to provide proof of student immunization status no later than the first day of school. Schools may grant a 20-day waiver to allow students to get up to date on immunizations or face exclusion from school.
Merrillville Community Schools Nursing Coordinator Tina Foreman said about 55% of the district’s sixth-graders still needed immunizations. She said the district has made robo calls, done nursing contacts and sent home directives to no avail. Thursday’s clinic drew about 80 to 100 children.
Foreman thinks it’s another leftover vestige of the past two years of school turmoil during the COVID19 pandemic.
“I think with the virtual learning, they thought they did not have to be compliant,” said Foreman of the remote learning classes held during the height of the pandemic.
“We basically eradicated measles, mumps and polio because of these vaccinations,” she said.
Porter County Health Department Director of Nursing Connie Rudd said some children did fall behind on immunizations.
“We’re playing catch up. But maybe this year, we can get everybody where they need to be,” she said.
“We’re working very hard with Porter County schools to make sure they’re getting immunized. We have school-based clinics to make it as convenient as we can.”
Rudd said she hasn’t seen vaccine resistance from parents. “They’re very accepting,” she said.
Indiana requires school children to be vaccinated for diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, polio, hepatitis, chicken pox, MMR or measles mumps and rubella, MCV4 or meningitis and Tdap or tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis.
The state recommends flu shots, COVID-19 vaccinations, HPV (human papillomavirus) and meningococcal immunizations.
A Gary Community School Corp. official said the district made a concerted effort to make sure children were up-to-date on required vaccinations.
“We have seen an increase of compliance with the vaccination requirements,” said Nathan Williamson, federal programs director and chief business officer.