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COVID-19 not only routine vaccination

While many people are occupied with worrying about COVID-19, who is getting the vaccine — or not and whether schools are going to require masks, something has fallen by the wayside. Routine vaccinations already required of school children are being overlooked.

According to the Associated Press, vaccines such as those for polio, measles, tetanus and whooping cough are behind schedule for children. Pandemic-related disruptions from this year and last year to services such as doctor’s office visits, and the cancellation of summer camps and sports camps for which shot records are often required, mean kids have not received these routine vaccinations.

Richard Long, executive director of the Learning First Alliance, expressed what a concern this was.

“We’re going to have kids getting seriously sick this fall, and the sad part is, for the most part, it’s preventable,” he said.

Doctors’ offices have continued to be busy because of the pandemic, meaning appointments may be hard to get, and with the recent shortages of products we normally have no problems accessing — things like vials, syringes and needles — supply problems are cropping up, too. Many factors are driving this problem, and all of them require immediate solutions.

The important thing for parents to remember is these vaccines are not optional.

Keep trying to make that appointment with the doctor’s office. These vaccines are important, too. We already have enough on our hands with COVID-19. Imagine how much worse things could get if entirely preventable diseases re-emerge.

editorial@vindy.com

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