As the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic appears to be behind us, we are just beginning to face the economic and humanitarian impact. The consequences of public health crises can be substantial — hence, the significance of immunizations in preventing vaccine preventable disease outbreaks.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), childhood immunizations between 1994 and 2018 has resulted in a net savings of $406 billion in direct costs and $1.9 trillion in total economic impact. With the highly anticipated return to in-person learning and play, infant immunizations are critical to preventing future outbreaks of vaccine preventable diseases for one of society’s most vulnerable age groups. As we inch towards a new normal and social activities resume, providers should emphasize the importance of infant immunizations to families who may have postponed their babies’ immunization appointments during the pandemic.
The Role of Immunizations During Early Childhood
The first two years of a child’s life are marked by many development milestones, including the strengthening of their immune systems. During this critical period of growth, immunizations play an important role in building the foundation for lifelong immunity. The CDC recommends that children be vaccinated against 14 illnesses between birth and two years of age. Giving babies the recommended vaccinations by age two is the best way to protect them from serious childhood diseases, like pneumococcal disease and measles.
By age 24 months, there are several vaccines that children need to help jumpstart their immune systems, including:
Hepatitis B: 3 doses
Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis (DTAP): 4 doses
Polio: 3 doses
Measles, Mumps, Rubella: 1 dose
Haemophilus influenzae type b (HIB): 4 doses
Varicella: 1 dose
Pneumococcal 13-valent conjugate: 4 doses
Most of these vaccines come in multi-dose series, which requires families to take multiple trips to a pediatrician. According to data from the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, an estimated 9 million childhood vaccination doses were missed during 2020 - a decrease of up to 26% in childhood vaccination doses compared to 2019. This drop in immunizations puts communities throughout the country at a higher risk of losing protection against highly contagious diseases.
The Impact of Childhood Disease Outbreaks
Though the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic are top of mind for many, the impacts of forgoing childhood vaccines should not be ignored. Treating vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks can be quite costly too. A 2017 measles outbreak in Minnesota cost a county, state health department and hospital 1.3 million dollars collectively to contain. Aside from financial consequences, infants are the most vulnerable to infectious diseases, and exposure to these diseases puts them at serious risk.
The Role of Providers in Working with Families
Providers need strong, open lines of communication when working with families to ensure that children stay on track with the recommended infant immunizations. Parents may have questions and concerns about infant immunizations. When talking to parents about infant immunizations, it is important for providers to make clear, effective recommendations as trusted sources of information.
Another key element to helping families keep up to date with immunizations is vaccine record keeping. Providers should assess the vaccination status at every wellness visit, so that vaccine schedule can be planned accordingly. As parents plan their return to the office for work and children daycare centers reopen, it is important for providers to plan ahead when scheduling vaccination appointments.
Infant immunizations play a huge role in a child’s immunity against infectious diseases. On a much broader scale, infant immunizations have a much larger role in preventing outbreaks and keeping everyone healthy.