Pediatricians are concerned that many children remain behind in their vaccines amid the COVID-19 pandemic and urge families to schedule their appointments to catch up.
The America Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) describes the 2021 childhood and adolescent immunization schedule from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention as taking on new urgency during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The AAP policy statement, "Recommended Childhood and Adolescent Immunization Schedule: United States, 2021," describes the timetable for administering vaccinations during stages of a child's development that have proven to be safe and effective at preventing specific diseases.
Time to catch up
Since the start of the pandemic, a significant number of parents postponed their children's vaccinations for highly contagious, preventable illnesses like measles, mumps and polio.
"Parents have the power to protect their children, themselves and their families," said AAP President Lee Savio Beers, MD, FAAP. "These diseases have not gone away during the pandemic, and so it is very important that children stay up to date on all their immunizations, in partnership with their pediatrician."
The immunization schedules include recommended vaccines from birth through age 18 years, as well as a catch-up immunization schedule for those ages 4 months through 18 years who start late or are more than one month behind the recommended age for vaccine administration.
Is the COVID-19 vaccine recommended?
Yes. The AAP recommends the COVID-19 vaccine for all children age 5 years and older who are eligible. A box within the notes section of the immunization schedule that states that use of COVID-19 vaccines is recommended within the scope of the Emergency Use Authorization or Biologics License Application.
The 2021 immunization schedules for children and teens also include:
A turning point
"Families, students and staff need to remain vigilant and continue to wear cloth face masks and physically distance when in public. These are all actions we can take to decrease the spread of the COVID-19," Dr. Beers said.
Beginning in March 2020, there was a dramatic drop in children's well visits and routine vaccines administered, research has shown. A Blue Cross Blue Shield
analysis found a 26% drop in vaccine doses in 2020. Forty percent of parents surveyed by Blue Cross said their children missed shots because of COVID-19.
The 2021 recommended childhood and adolescent immunization schedules are approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM), American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA), and National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP).
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