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. 2020 Jul 10;69(27):859-863.
doi: 10.15585/mmwr.mm6927a2.

Provision of Pediatric Immunization Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic: an Assessment of Capacity Among Pediatric Immunization Providers Participating in the Vaccines for Children Program - United States, May 2020

Tara M Vogt  1 , Fan Zhang  1 , Michelle Banks  1 , Carla Black  1 , Bayo Arthur  1 , Yoonjae Kang  1 , Paul Lucas  1 , Brock Lamont  1
Affiliations

Provision of Pediatric Immunization Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic: an Assessment of Capacity Among Pediatric Immunization Providers Participating in the Vaccines for Children Program - United States, May 2020

Tara M Vogt et al. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. .

Abstract

Recent reports suggest that routine childhood immunization coverage might have decreased during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic (1,2). To assess the capacity of pediatric health care practices to provide immunization services to children during the pandemic, a survey of practices participating in the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program was conducted during May 12-20, 2020. Data were weighted to account for the sampling design; thus, all percentages reported are weighted. Among 1,933 responding practices, 1,727 (89.8%) were currently open; 1,397 (81.1%) of these reported offering immunization services to all of their patients. When asked whether the practice would likely be able to accommodate new patients to assist with provision of immunization services through August, 1,135 (59.1%) respondents answered affirmatively. These results suggest that health care providers appear to have the capacity to deliver routinely recommended childhood vaccines, allowing children to catch up on vaccines that might have been delayed as a result of COVID-19-related effects on the provision of or demand for routine well child care. Health care providers and immunization programs should educate parents on the need to return for well-child and immunization visits or refer patients to other practices, if they are unable to provide services (3).

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Conflict of interest statement

All authors have completed and submitted the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors form for disclosure of potential conflicts of interest. No potential conflicts of interest were disclosed.

Figures

FIGURE
FIGURE
Pediatric age groups eligible to receive routine immunization services at 254 practices not offering immunization services to all pediatric patients — United States, May 2020 * Categories are not mutually exclusive. "Other" includes age categories not reflected in the survey options (e.g., newborns only), patients with medical conditions or risk factors, and other scenarios such as patients behind on immunizations or parental request for vaccination.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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