QUESTION
Why have vaccination rates not fully recovered post-pandemic, especially among young children?
0:44:31
·
60 sec
Dr. Celia Quinn explains that a combination of factors led to the delay in vaccination rates post-pandemic, particularly among four to six-year-olds.
- The most significant gap in vaccination rates is found among children aged four to six, who were infants to three years old during the pandemic's peak.
- There were considerable barriers to vaccine access during the pandemic, which have since been somewhat addressed for the 0 to 2 age group, allowing their rates to improve.
- However, four to six-year-olds still face challenges in accessing the full catch-up vaccination schedule.
- As vaccinations become required for entry into pre-K and kindergarten, it is expected that these rates will improve, helping to close the gap.
Darlene Mealy
0:44:31
And what is the DOH opinion for the reason that vaccination rates have not fully received following the high rate of the pandemic have not recovered.
0:44:44
Yeah.
0:44:44
I know someone had asked that.
0:44:46
Maybe I didn't hear why.
Dr. Celia Quinn
0:44:47
Yeah.
0:44:48
Well, I think it's a combination of a lot of different reasons.
0:44:51
There are the biggest gap that we're still seeing is in the four to six year olds.
0:44:56
So that's the cohort of children who were infants to age 3 during the peak of the pandemic.
0:45:01
So we know that there were a lot of barriers to access during that period of time that have somewhat resolved because now our 0 to 2 year old is catching back up to where we were coverage wise before 2019.
0:45:14
But, you know, there's still barriers for those four to six year olds to get the entire catch up schedule.
0:45:21
As they get into pre k and k where those vaccines will be required, I anticipate that will help to get us back towards where we were before.
Francisco P. Moya
0:45:30
Thank you.
0:45:31
Thank you.