In Ohio and across the country, there has been a decrease in vaccinations administered to protect against diseases like measles, chickenpox, whooping cough, and polio. More than 90% of people need to be vaccinated for a disease to establish herd immunity and prevent an outbreak. In April, pediatric vaccines dropped by more than 45% across Ohio compared to April 2019, according to the state’s Immunization Registry.
On October 13, Governor Mike DeWine encouraged parents not to delay their children’s well-visit vaccinations.
“While we do not have a vaccine yet for COVID-19, we can prevent more than a dozen other diseases from harming our children and our communities,” said Gov. DeWine. “It is critical that Ohioans and providers remain vigilant about keeping children up to date on these vaccines.”
In the coming days, the Ohio Department of Medicaid will launch several initiatives to encourage childhood immunizations among its members. These efforts will be aimed at increasing safe, convenient access to vaccinations by providing mobile vaccination clinics and reducing administrative barriers for providers.
Gov. DeWine also unveiled a new public service announcement that stresses the importance of childhood vaccines.