HOUSTON — Another consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic is a lot of children have fallen behind on routine vaccinations.
Doctors are concerned there could be outbreaks of preventable illnesses - like measles or whooping cough - if kids don’t get caught up before school begins.
Dr. Ali Naqvi is a pediatrician with UT Physicians/UTHealth. He said the recommended immunization schedule is designed to protect kids when they’re most vulnerable to certain diseases.
“That’s actually the biggest concern we have right now because we have this huge pandemic going on. On top of it, kids are behind on routine immunizations. There is a possibility of getting potential outbreaks, which would be the worst thing that could happen right now,” Naqvi said.
There was such a severe drop in these routine vaccinations in 2020, some pediatric experts declared it a national emergency.
UTHealth held a back-to-school event at UT Physicians Multispecialty – Jensen Clinic last Saturday to get students up-to-date on immunizations.