Do Not Miss Routine Vaccination For Children: Divisional Commissioner Appeals Parents

Pune, 23rd May 2021: It has been observed that in the last year since the Covid19 outbreak, the parental apprehension to visit the hospital vaccination centres or clinics with their children for routine vaccination has been noticed, said officials from the Pune divisional commissioner and Pune Paediatric Task Force. They have appealed to parents not to miss routine vaccines for their children.

“Routine Vaccination as per National Guidelines is available in all Government and Municipal Centres all throughout the Pandemic period. In addition, vaccinations are also available with Private Paediatrician’s Clinics.

The reasons for visits to vaccination centres could be multifactorial: parental hesitancy and apprehensions of visiting the health facility during covid times, lockdowns, travel issues, Covid surges, etc. Since the Covid cases after the second surge are now slowly reducing in numbers it is the right time to create awareness among the parents and caretakers to get their children to various government or private health facilities to vaccinate their children who have missed taking them in the last one year. With the Monsoon approaching and the anticipated third surge with the prediction of predominantly children getting affected it becomes very important to vaccinate the children to protect them from Vaccine-Preventable Diseases, vaccines for which are available in various health facilities.

As and when the Covid19 vaccination is approved by the government and becomes available based on the trial findings, it can be given to the children in near future. Until then routine vaccination and Covid19 prevention appropriate behaviour is what we need to follow and this needs to be stressed to the parents and caretakers.

Special care needs to be taken of children in orphanages, hostels, remand homes, children staying with mothers who are housed in prisons, etc.

Parents can contact their Family Doctors, Paediatricians, Government or Municipal Corporation Hospitals Vaccination Centres to get more information and counselling to not defer any further the administration of missed vaccination”, the appeal reads.