A recent report from UNICEF and the World Health Organization shows a dramatic backslide in the percentage of children worldwide who received routine wellness vaccinations identifies a dangerous trend also taking place nationally, and in Texas.

Vaccination rates in children and teens have dropped drastically since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. The percent of Texas 7th graders who received their pertussis and meningitis vaccines, for the 2021-22 school year, decreased by more than 5%. This drastic drop will take time to recover from and is the reason it is so important to alert parents about the need to catch up on routine childhood vaccinations. Diseases such as measles, meningitis, and pertussis were widely reduced over the last 50 years because of these wellness vaccines, including “Back to School” vaccines, yet more evidence of how vaccines contribute to good health.

As Texas students prepare for a return to school, we have an opportunity to reverse the trend and get back on track. Routine vaccines prevent lethal illness and save lives.

“The best way to keep our kids “Texas Tough” is to keep them healthy. The good news is that we’ve got a way to do that,” says Terri Burke, executive director of The Immunization Partnership. “Yes, we face pandemic fatigue and challenges, and we are constantly bombarded with politically charged misinformation about vaccines, but these are sobering statistics and a disturbing trend. We need to keep our eye on the ball, for our kids’ sake.”

Don’t put this off any longer, get your children vaccinated and remind other parents to do the same.

To find a vaccine provider near you, visit: https://www.dshs.texas.gov/immunize/tvfc/info-for-parents.aspx.