Miscellaneous
Over the last year, parents may have been concerned about potentially exposing their children to COVID-19 so they skipped well-child visits. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention wants to remind parents of the vital need to protect their children against serious vaccine-preventable diseases, even as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. As social distancing requirements are relaxed, children who are not protected by vaccines will be more vulnerable to diseases such as measles. Coordinated efforts between healthcare providers and public health officials will be necessary to achieve rapid catch-up vaccination. Hello, I’m Dr. Brooke Hildebrand Clubbs, instructor of health communication at Southeast Missouri State University. August is National Immunization Awareness Month. The New York Times reports that the number of administered doses of diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccines dropped 15.7 percent among children under age 2, and an alarming 60 percent among those aged 2