“We cannot allow confidence in routine immunizations to become another victim of the pandemic. Otherwise, the next wave of deaths could be of more children with measles, diphtheria, or other preventable diseases.”
― Catherine Russell, UNICEF Executive Director
New data from UNICEF has indicated declining confidence in childhood vaccines, with 67 million children missing out on one or more vaccines over three years. The report reveals that vaccination coverage has decreased in 112 countries during the pandemic, and children born within the past few years, either just before or during the pandemic, are now falling behind the recommended vaccination schedule, something that increases the risk for a resurgence of infectious diseases which are considered preventable.
The COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted childhood vaccination.
The pandemic interrupted many aspects of health services across the globe, and childhood vaccinations were no exception. Before the COVID-19 outbreak, numerous primary healthcare systems struggled due to insufficient staffing, restricted access to equipment and essential supplies. These preexisting weaknesses worsened as the already scant resources were diverted to tackle the pandemic.
Vaccine hesitancy movement expansion during the pandemic puts at risk a whole generation.
Besides vaccine disruptions due to the pandemic, vaccine coverage also faced the challenge of vaccine hesitancy. Generally, newer vaccines usually have a higher degree of hesitancy surrounding them; this was also the case with the COVID-19 vaccines, for which a main concern was that they were developed too quickly.
Additionally, mistrust in the government and a wealth of conspiracy theories surrounded vaccines, spreading like wildfire, especially during the pandemic. Some common fears around the new mRNA vaccine technology held the belief that they change your DNA and can give you COVID-19.
The combination of vaccine hesitancy and a reallocation of precious health resources created an almost perfect storm for the drop in vaccinations. This drop has led to a fear that easily preventable diseases will stage a resurgence, something Catherine Russell, UNICEF Executive Director, emphasized and something that made the UK Health Security Agency issue guidance discussing the risk assessment for measles resurgence.
London at risk for a large measles epidemic. How close are we?
Currently, in the UK, the MMR vaccine coverage is about 90%, the lowest in the past decade; London is the most vulnerable English region, with immunity targets not achieved for many cohorts, considering the inequalities in vaccine uptake observed in various ethnic groups whose larger populations reside in London.
While the risk of a large measles epidemic outside of London is low, the models suggest that an outbreak of measles could occur in London, with potentially between 40,000 and 160,000 cases.
Vaccine hesitancy: A threat to a new pandemic and new vaccines for existing diseases. The malaria vaccine case.
Other future implications could have repercussions in the uptake of new vaccines, either in the advent of a new emerging disease or for new vaccines for previously difficult-to-treat diseases, such as malaria.
The malaria vaccine currently available is the RTS,S/AS01 vaccine, and is set to be rolled out across twelve African countries over the next two years. RTS,S/AS01 acts against a particular malaria species, which is the deadliest malaria parasite and the most prevalent in Africa – Plasmodium falciparum. A second malaria vaccine, R21/Matrix-MTM, has recently been licensed for use in Ghana by the country’s Food and Drugs Authority.
If vaccine hesitation filters through to the countries hardest hit by this deadly disease, it could hamper efforts to help tackle it effectively.
One malaria vaccine, which is currently being developed by Biontech, and is in phase 1 of development, is based on mRNA technology. This technology came to the public’s awareness during the COVID-19 pandemic. Could the fear that was created during the pandemic curtail the uptake of this vaccine?
Addressing Vaccine Hesitancy. Let’s put an end to misinformation.
Tackling vaccine hesitancy requires tackling the root causes of misinformation and spreading awareness about the benefits of vaccination.
More research needs to be carried out on the epidemiology of (mis)information – infodemiology, to stop the spread of vaccine misinformation and the resulting decline in confidence in childhood vaccines.
There is a need for further research on (mis)information, known as – infodemiology, to prevent the spread of false vaccine information and the resulting decline in confidence in childhood vaccines.
The spread of misinformation through social media is a critical problem that needs urgent attention. It is essential to promote the benefits of vaccination by strengthening public health campaigns and engaging pro-vaccination influencers to counter the anti-vaccine movement and end the spread of false information.
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Sources:
Measles: risk assessment for resurgence in the UK – GOV.UK
Misinformation of COVID-19 vaccines and vaccine hesitancy | Scientific Reports
Infodemiology: the epidemiology of (mis)information – The American Journal of Medicine
BioNTech | Technologies for customized treatment approaches
COVID-19 Vaccine Fact Vs. Fiction: An Expert Weighs in on Common Fears | UC San Francisco
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Free Photo | Doctor taking care of patient after vaccination