Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Students Fall Behind on “Routine-but-Critical” Vaccinations

  • By Matt Jones
  • 08/16/21

A news release from the Learning First Alliance suggests that one in five children missed receiving routine vaccines during the pandemic. This lapse could not only cause students to be ineligible to return to school in-person this fall, but it could lead to the loss of herd immunity against long-eradicated diseases like measles, polio and whooping cough.

A recent Blue Cross Blue Shield Survey reveals that 40 percent of parents say that their children have missed at least one vaccine during the COVID-19 pandemic. The routine vaccines against 16 serious diseases are intended both to keep the vaccinated individual safe as well as prevent an individual from passing the disease along to fellow students, teachers, staff and the community at large.

“We know that caregivers are stressed, and many have delayed doctor’s appointments or opted for telehealth appointments during the pandemic,” said Richard M. Long, Learning First Alliance executive director. “Childhood and adolescent vaccination rates in the United States have declined at an alarming rate as a result of missed appointments.”

The Learning First Alliance (LFA) has launched a new website and a public information campaign, “The Power to Protect,” to educate parents and guardians on the importance of these routine shots. It also provides information on how to receive the shots free of charge as necessary. According to a news release, LFA is a coalition of 12 national education groups that represents 10 million parents, teachers, support staff, principals, superintendents, school board members, and teacher educators.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has expanded its emergency use authorization of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to adolescents ages 12–15. Likewise, updated guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) allows the COVID-19 vaccine to be given at the same time as other routine vaccines. The COVID-19 vaccine is still optional but highly recommended.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Rhode Island Boarding School Completes Student Dorm Renovations

    St. George’s School in Middletown, R.I., recently announced the completion of a $26-million renovation project on Arden-Diman-Eccles Dormitory, according to a news release. The school partnered with Voith & Mactavish Architects (VMA) on the new space, which places a new focus on collaborative community spaces open to both boarding students and day students.

  • North Carolina District Completes New Elementary School

    The Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) in Holly Springs, N.C., recently announced that construction on a new elementary school has finished, according to a news release. Rex Road Elementary School measures in at 133,000 square feet and is the fifteenth school that general contractor Balfour Beatty has completed for the district.

  • Minnesota Middle School Finishes $23.5M Addition and Modernization

    Highland Park Middle School in St. Paul, Minn., recently announced the completion of a $23.5-million addition and remodel project, according to a news release. Saint Paul Public Schools partnered with ATS&R Planners, Architects & Engineers for its design and Kraus-Anderson for its construction.

  • Houston-Area High School Breaks Ground on 117,000SF Multi-Use Facility

    North Shore Senior High School, part of Galena Park ISD in Houston, Texas, recently broke ground on a new multi-use facility for student extracurriculars, according to a news release. The North Shore Multi-Use Facility will include dedicated practice and training space for the school’s athletics and fine arts programs.