Number of children getting vaccines has gone down, according to the CDC

CHATHAM COUNTY, Ga. (WTOC) - For the past two school years, the number of children getting vaccinated against diseases has gone down.

Doctors say if these numbers continue to drop, we could see the return of diseases like the measles.

Dr. Ben Spitalnick believes the pandemic plays a major role and why many kids aren’t getting their required vaccines.

Children going to kindergarten at public schools are required to get vaccinated against diseases that have been around for a long time like measles, polio and tetanus.

The CDC reported 93% of kids entering kindergarten in the 2021 to 2022 school year were fully vaccinated. That number has dropped one percent each school year since 2019-2020.

Dr. Spitalnick says Pediatric Associates of Savannah has beaten that national trend, but that might not be the case for other clinics in our area.

“But it would not surprise me if there were drops in our area because there’s been disruptions in the care gap system. Patients have lost insurance and for other reasons have not made it in.”

He also says public reaction to the COVID-19 vaccine can be a reason for less kids getting other vaccines that have been around a long time.

“Those who were a little bit hesitant to get vaccines have in some cases found reasons to become more hesitant as a result of their understanding of COVID.”

He says if you ever have any reservations about getting your child vaccinated against those long time diseases, the best thing you can do is call your child’s doctor.

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