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- Page navigation anchor for RE: Increasing Continuity and Early Childhood Vaccinations During COVID-19 PandemicRE: Increasing Continuity and Early Childhood Vaccinations During COVID-19 Pandemic
When the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020, patient visits and pediatric vaccination rates dropped across the country. This was evidenced by the fact that Vaccines for Children (VFC) vaccine orders for children less than two years old decreased significantly less than those older than two years old1. Nationwide there was a 25% decrease in vaccinations for patients less than two years old2. Due to the decrease, there was a focus nationwide on children less than two years old to maintain vaccination rates.
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Denver Health, a Federally Qualified Healthcare Center in the Denver, CO also experienced a decrease in vaccinations, however we only experienced a 6% decrease in the number of Pediarix vaccines administered when comparing March-May 2019 to March-May 2020 and a 14% decrease in patient visits for ages birth to two years old. While our success was likely multifactorial, a contributor to our ability to get infants and toddlers seen at our clinics was the support of the group care team. The article titled “Connection Group Care Patients to Mental Health and Food Resources During the COVID-19 Pandemic” focused on a group of patients at a Denver Health Clinic. The patients who participated in group care had built relationships with the team prior to the pandemic and trusted them. When the team recommended that the children come in for vaccinations and reassured them that it was safe to come to the clinic, these families listened and came in for medical care. It seem...Competing Interests: None declared.