Seventeen Democratic senators wrote a letter to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), asking for a plan to address the dramatic decline in childhood vaccination amidst the coronavirus pandemic.
The senators decided to write a letter asking for a plan after the CDC reported earlier this month about a notable fall in childhood vaccination since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.
According to the CDC, the number of vaccines ordered through a federal program that immunizes half of all kids in the country have noticeably declined and several states have also reported a similar trend.
The danger of reduced childhood vaccinations
CDC's Dr. Jeanne Santoli and colleagues reported: "The decline began the week after the national emergency declaration; similar declines in orders for other vaccines were also observed."
"As social distancing requirements are relaxed, children who are not protected by vaccines will be more vulnerable to diseases such as measles," Dr. Santoli explained.
Expressing alarm about the report, Dr. Sally Goza, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) said: "Immunizing infants, children and adolescents is important, and should not be delayed."
"I'm also concerned that children who have missed vaccines, have also missed other health care that occurs during those visits, including physical exams, developmental screenings, and other important care that should not be delayed," Dr. Goza added.
Calls from the Senate
Led by New Hampshire's Maggie Hassan, the senators urged the CDC to create a program to reverse the trend.
In the letter, the senators said: "We write to express significant concern regarding the recent decline in routine childhood immunization rates in the United States during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and urge you to take immediate action to encourage and support routine pediatric immunizations through the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic."
The CDC warned that that unvaccinated or under-vaccinated children will be susceptible to other infectious diseases besides the coronavirus.
The senators argued: "Such outbreaks would put lives at risk, and place additional stress on our health care system and public health infrastructure at a time when these systems are struggling to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic."
"To avoid this potential crisis, we urge the CDC to immediately develop an action plan that incorporates targeted public outreach and education efforts on addressing vaccine hesitancy and emphasizing the importance of pediatric immunizations," they added.
How should the CDC respond?
They called on the CDC to provide resources for communities where vaccinations have fallen, as well as disseminate guidance on how parents can safely get their kids vaccinated.
The senators asked: "What specific steps is CDC taking to reverse the dramatic drop in vaccinations since mid March?"
They also questioned the agency what it was doing to address the proliferation of messages from anti-vaccine groups.
"Is CDC planning a public information campaign to address vaccine hesitancy, and if so, how will CDC ensure that the necessary communication on the importance of routine immunizations is reaching parents and families?" they queried.
Offering financial support, the senators continued in the letter: "Does CDC require additional resources from Congress in order to support efforts to reverse the decline in pediatric immunizations? If so, what level of funding would be sufficient?"
