Vaccine numbers down for kindergarteners, CDC finds

        According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, vaccine numbers for kindergarteners in the United States were down last year compared to the year prior.
      It’s a trend Kimberly Giuliano, MD, pediatrician with Cleveland Clinic Children’s, said they’ve been noticing since the pandemic.
        “We saw a small decline in vaccination rates when the pandemic started. And initially, that was just related to children’s ability to get into the office for care. And then, parents limiting the amount of exposures that children had in healthcare facilities,” said Dr. Giuliano. “Certainly, we are far past those times now, but there are still some parents who have hesitancy about vaccines.”
        Dr. Giuliano said while she can understand the hesitancy, there are countless studies showing the safety of vaccines. And side effects tend to be minimal, if at all. They may include fever, fussiness, redness or swelling at the injection site and typically last about 24 hours.
      She adds that by not vaccinating your child, you’re putting them at risk for the very diseases they’re trying to prevent, like measles, mumps and rubella. In some cases, they can be deadly or cause long-term health issues.
      Skipping vaccines may also put other children at risk, too.
        “There are some children who can’t receive vaccines, live vaccines, for instance, because of their immunocompromised status, or children with chronic health conditions who might not mount a great immune response to their vaccines,” said Dr. Giuliano. “And so, if we have the vaccines protecting the vast majority of us, those children who are more vulnerable are less likely to come in contact with illnesses. So, we’re really making a decision for all of our children.”
      She said public health officials have a goal to get 95% of kindergarteners vaccinated for measles, mumps and rubella by 2030. This will help ensure herd immunity, which makes it harder for these diseases to spread.