Today is National Kids and Vaccines Day in Hastings County.
Hastings Prince Edward Medical Officer of Health Dr. Ethan Toumishey says routine vaccinations are critical to protect children against a wide range of diseases.
He notes “a worrisome number of Canadian children are not receiving vaccines.”
Toumishey says they protect against many of the diseases that have not been seen in children for decades, such as Measles, Polio and Hepatitis B.
The day aims to remind families of the importance of childhood vaccines, and respond to misinformation about vaccine safety and effectiveness that has caused a dangerous reduction in the rate of vaccinated children in Canada.
“Routine vaccinations are critical to protect children against a wide range of diseases,” says Dr. Ethan Toumishey, Medical Officer of Health and CEO at HPEPH. “The data shows a worrisome number of Canadian children are not receiving vaccines that protect against many of the diseases that have not been seen in children for decades, such as Measles, Polio, and Hepatitis B. This is concerning as low vaccination rates increase the risk of these diseases for everyone. I encourage families to speak with their health care provider, visit the HPEPH website or participate in the Kids and Vaccines Town Hall to learn about the benefits and safety of routine immunization.”
The pandemic has created several barriers to keeping up with routine healthcare needs including childhood immunizations.
- Recent data from Public Health Ontario shows:
- Only 6% of 12-year-olds in Hastings and Prince Edward Counties (HPEC) were vaccinated against Hepatitis B in the 2020 to 2021 school year, compared to 78% in the 2018 to 2019 school year (the most recent school year unaffected by COVID-19).
- Vaccines against human papillomavirus (HPV) in HPEC plunged to 1% in 2021, compared with 67% in 2019.
- Meningococcal vaccines in Ontario fell to about 9% in 2021 from 92% in 2019.
The data across Ontario shows a similar decline; children and youth are not being protected against many of the diseases that have been successfully avoided for decades due to the effectiveness of vaccines.
