Wolfson Children’s Hospital reminds parents of the importance of childhood wellness appointments and vaccinations during the COVID-19 pandemic

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Numerous events have been canceled or rescheduled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it shouldn’t keep anyone from going to the doctor.

Families are encouraged to bring their children back into the doctor’s office, and to get their vaccinations before school reopens in the next few months. It is safe to schedule well-child visits and important to stay up-to-date with regularly scheduled vaccines.

Vaccines are the best thing in medicine because they can prevent infection. Without vaccination, your child is vulnerable to disease.

Immunizations provide maximum benefit to children before they become at-risk for diseases such as polio, chickenpox, measles, mumps and rubella, which are preventable with routine childhood immunizations. Without vaccination, there could be a resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases. Immunizations also prevent deadly diseases from spreading to others.

Vaccines undergo extensive safety testing and are held to the highest safety standards.  The Centers for Disease Control (CDC)/American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) childhood immunization schedule is based on scientific research and data. The number of doses of vaccines and the timing of the vaccination have been planned for maximum benefit.

While leading researchers predict we are still a year away before we have access to a COVID-19 vaccine, children of all ages need other vaccinations to stay healthy. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the AAP reports a significant drop in well-child checkups and vaccination delays. These missed visits could impact a child’s health.

Well-child visits often find medical or developmental problems at an early stage in time to resolve them. Vaccines provide important protection against infections and diseases, and keep children safe from many serious illnesses.

As the situation with COVID-19 continues to evolve, all Wolfson Children’s facilities have additional guidelines in place to care for patients in a safe manner without exposing them to the risk of infection. These include prescreening and screening at the door, limited entry points, social distancing, requiring masks and frequently cleaning common areas. More information is available at wolfsonchildrens.com/safety.

Wolfson Children’s Hospital has been named year after year by U.S. News & World Report as one of the best children’s hospitals in the country. In 2019, Wolfson Children’s was selected as one of only 10 children’s hospitals in the country as a Leapfrog Top Children’s Hospital, a recognition of patient quality and safety.

Mobeen Rathore, MD

Chief, Pediatric Infectious Disease and Immunology

Wolfson Children’s Hospital of Jacksonville

Bethany Atkins, MD

Pediatrician

President, Northeast Florida Pediatric Society