KOCHI: Anxious about their children contracting the virus, parents have been delaying vaccination, say doctors.The DHS is currently compiling data on the number of vaccines given during the months since the Covid outbreak. As per the Centre’s guidelines, vaccination is not being given to children in containment zones. It is rescheduled once the area is declared safe.
While the state grapples with the spurt in Covid-19 cases, a pattern has emerged wherein parents have been delaying vaccinations for kids by avoiding hospital visits, lest they get affected by the virus.
According to paediatricians, this disturbing trend of skipping timely administration of vaccines can have detrimental effects on the child’s health and increase the risk of other infectious diseases such as rubella and measles.
“Usually, vaccines are administered at six weeks, 10 weeks and 14 weeks and should not be missed even if delayed by a month. But, parents are confused and hesitant due to the pandemic and are delaying routine vaccinations by several months. Vaccinations should be administered timely in the first year of a child’s life.
However, I am getting patients who have been delaying vaccines for more than six months,” said Dr Vidya V K, consultant paediatrician at G G Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram.
While government authorities agree that the immunisation was delayed during the lockdown period, it now only affects containment zones. “As per the Centre’s guidelines, vaccination is not being administered to children in containment zones. The vaccination is rescheduled once the area is declared danger free.
Certain norms laid down by the Directorate of Health Services on how to administer vaccines during the pandemic situation is being followed to ensure timely vaccination. Patients have to consult the Primary Healthcare Centers a day before the due date so that necessary arrangements are being made,” said an official from Family Welfare department, DHS.
Dr R Manju, senior consultant, Pediatrics and Neonatologist, Renai Medicity, Kochi, said that the Health Ministry’s protocol to keep children below the age of 10 indoors has also led to parents avoiding hospitals. Underlying the importance of vaccines, Dr Manju said: “Primary vaccines for polio, measles and DPT should be given in the first year. Parents skipping immunisation had earlier resulted in a spurt of infectious diseases such as measles in many parts of the world.”
She said hospitals have separated their immunisation clinics from other departments to ensure the safety of children. Nevertheless, parents are reluctant to bring their children to hospitals or other primary healthcare centres. “There has been a 50 per cent decline in the vaccine uptake due to the pandemic,” said Dr Manju.
Parental anxiety
“My one-and-a-half-year-old son’s vaccine was due in May. Due to the pandemic, I have been delaying the vaccination. Our paediatrician has however advised us to take the vaccine before he turns two. I am worried about my child’s health,” said Aparna Krishna, a parent. Simmi, another parent of a six-month-old said: “My daughter has low immunity and falls sick easily. We don’t want to compromise with her health but the fear of Covid has led us in delaying her vaccination.”
Teleconsultation or parents
To avoid the number of inadequately immunised children after the pandemic, the Women and Child Development Department has planned to introduce teleconsultation for a month to address the queries of the parents related to the administration of vaccines. “There has been a decline in the uptake of routine vaccines due to the pandemic. Therefore, we will be conducting teleconsultations to create awareness about the importance of vaccinations with the help of anganwadis.
The teleconsultations will be given by local medical officers and Indian Medical Association(IMA) doctors at the panchayat level,” said Bindu Gopinath, assistant director, Women and Child Development Department. As part of the National Nutrition Month in September, the department is conducting tele-nutrition counselling to create more awareness about the required nutrients in a child’s diet. Also, a nutrition drive is being conducted to encourage the planting of fruit trees.
Vaccines
Rotavirus: Before six months.
Pneumococcal conjugate
vaccine: Before two years.1/2 year booster dose (Diphtheria+ Tetanus+ Pertussis+hepatitis B):
Before two years.
Rescheduling vaccines
Hepatitis A: After the first year
Varicella: After 15 months.
Typhoid vaccine: From the first year onward
Diptheria+Tetanus+Pertussis (final dose): Taken in the fifth year. It can be rescheduled but before seven years.