Monday July 20, 2020
Officials near anti-vaccination "hot spot" Portland, Oregon, are declaring a public health emergenct over a measles outbreak. CHAIDEER MAHYUDDIN, AFP/Getty Images
Minneapolis (HOL) - Healthcare providers are worried about the decline in the number of young children receiving life-saving vaccines during the global pandemic, increasing the likelihood of outbreaks in the community that can further exacerbate an already fragile health sector.
Minnesota’s Department of Health released information this week illustrating a steep drop-off in vaccinations for children under the age of two. The data compares Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) vaccinations in 2019 and 2020 every week.
The numbers show nearly a 70% drop in vaccinations over a year.
Social distancing guidelines and the stay at home orders over the last several months have likely contributed to the decreased immunization administration in Minnesota and around the world.
The WHO and UNICEF have also raised similar concerns. They worry the disruptions will reverse hard-won progress in the developing world to vaccinate.
The Department of Health is encouraging Health care providers to prioritize newborn care and vaccination of infants and young children.
If you have an infant, Health officials urge you to talk to your baby’s doctor about the best way to keep them on track with recommended immunizations during the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s essential to keep up to date on your baby’s immunizations to protect your baby from other serious diseases and help prevent other disease outbreaks.
Health officials are warning that if steps are not taken soon to reverse this trend, we may have a painful fall and winter ahead of us.
In mid-2017, Minnesota experienced its most severe measles outbreak in recent history after 79 Minnesotans came down with the highly infectious disease. The vast majority of those unvaccinated Somali-American children living in Hennepin County.