Why Waiting Can Do More Harm than Good
Parents may be reluctant to visit the pediatrician’s office during the COVID-19 pandemic. But if this means your child will be missing routine vaccinations, you should think twice, says Cynthia Roldan, M.D., medical director of pediatrics at Carroll Hospital.
“Not getting vaccinated not only puts a child at risk but puts other people at risk who are highly vulnerable to the disease, like newborns who have yet to be vaccinated or people who are immunocompromised,” says Dr. Roldan.
As we know from the urgency to create a COVID-19 vaccine, vaccinations are the best way to prevent someone from getting a disease. Vaccinations can protect children from polio, diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), rubella (German measles) and chickenpox.
“We have certain vaccines that are recommended at certain periods of time, and that’s because it’s when children are at higher risk for disease from those infections,” says Dr. Roldan.
Pediatricians’ offices all over the county have implemented various processes and are adhering to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19. This includes cleaning high risk areas, temperature checks for patients and staff, wearing masks and making sure that they limit the number of people in their waiting rooms.
So, if you are a parent or guardian, ensure your child is up-to-date with his or her vaccinations. Many diseases that still exist today can be easily prevented.
“Even though parents are probably thinking, ‘my child is healthy, they are not going back to school’, they need to get vaccinated. All vaccines are important,” says Dr. Roldan.
For more information, visit the American Academy of Pediatrics.
