BOCA RATON, Fla. — Some parents may have delayed getting their children vaccines in the last few months because of the coronavirus pandemic. However, pediatricians said this is a mistake that parents should avoid.
Jesse Kobrin and her 8-month-old baby, Rae, are on schedule when it comes to vaccines.
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"For me, I feel like vaccines are more important than ever," Kobrin said. "It's definitely one thing we can control."
Many parents are now weighing getting them against the exposure to COVID-19.
"Of course we were a little bit nervous to go into the office," Kobrin said
Ultimately getting vaccines outweighed the risk for the Kobrin family.
"At six months, we did vaccines for (my daughter) and she took them like a champ," said Kobrin.
That's exactly what Dr. Celina Moore, a pediatrician with West Boca Medical Center, wants to hear.
"After the stay at home orders back in March, there has been about a 42 percent decrease in routine immunizations in the United States, which is huge," Moore said.
It's a drop that Moore said is very dangerous.
"That's leaving a gap in the immunity of children for vaccine-preventable diseases," Moore said. "We don't want children having to go to the hospital for vaccine-preventable diseases when we are already dealing with a huge pandemic."
Moore points to potential issues with supply and demand when things improve.
"There are only a certain amount of appointments in the day," Moore said. "When we do reopen, you want your child to be fully protected."
It's a fear that the Kobrin family used to make their decision.
"Some people are kind of just hanging back and not getting them. There could be that crazy demand, and we may not be able to get ours," Kobrin said. "For us, it was just top priority, definitely wanted to get them when we could."