Washington health officials are expressing concern about a drop in infant and youth immunization rates during the COVID-19 pandemic which could lead to more transmittable diseases spreading as many return to school.
The problem began early on in the pandemic last spring as many parents rescheduled routine wellness visits for their children in order to avoid clinics and hospitals. While health officials urged parents to catch up on immunizations to keep children protected from other diseases — including meningitis, whooping cough and HPV — the rates have continued to fall short of the state’s 80% target.
“We need to get children caught up now on vaccines they missed,” said Acting
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