(Des Moines, IA) -- Iowa has seen a drop in childhood immunizations. Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield reports 26-percent of Iowa children have missed routine vaccinations this year. The health care insurer estimates kids in Iowa may miss an estimated 9 million vaccination doses. Wellmark says the trend is similar to nationwide data.
"The need to protect against vaccine-preventable diseases is even more important during a pandemic,” said Dr. Tim Gutshall, Wellmark’s chief medical officer. “Regular visits with your child’s doctor are important not only for vaccines. They also ensure children are meeting vital health milestones and receiving appropriate screenings for physical and emotional health.”
Wellmark reports 40 percent of parents and legal guardians say their children missed vaccinations due to the pandemic. The report finds most vaccination postponements occurred during two key time periods in the spring, when the pandemic began to take hold, and in August when back-to-school vaccinations were delayed by the shift to virtual schooling options in districts across the country.
Local and global public health officials are warning of a sharp increase in the number of new measles infections and deaths. Earlier this year, the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) released a report noting the steep decline in vaccinations early in the pandemic. According to the IDPH, the number of vaccines administered during March and April 2020 dropped about 40 percent compared to the same months in 2019.