Notes from the Field: Rebound in Routine Childhood Vaccine Administration Following Decline During the COVID-19 Pandemic — New York City, March 1–June 27, 2020

Abstract

Concerns have been raised about falling childhood vaccine administration and vaccination coverage rates (1,2) during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.In New York City (NYC), decreasing vaccination coverage has been of particular concern in light of recent outbreaks of vaccinepreventable diseases, including a large measles outbreak during 2018-2019 (3).The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on routine childhood vaccination was monitored by the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) using the Citywide Immunization Registry (CIR),* a populationbased immunization information system with high data quality and provider participation (4,5).CIR includes 2.7 million patient records for NYC persons aged 0-18 years and receives reports from approximately 1,600 immunization facilities.The weekly number of routine childhood vaccine doses administered to persons aged <24 months and 2-18 years in 2020 was compared with the number administered during the same period in 2019; influenza vaccine and vaccines administered in pharmacies and hospital nurseries were excluded from this report.† Likewise, the weekly number of unique facilities that reported administering at least one childhood vaccine in 2020 to 2019 was also compared.A decrease in the number of vaccine doses administered in NYC was detected beginning the week of March 8, 2020, 1 week after the first COVID-19 case was confirmed in NYC.Those numbers declined further after the New York State on PAUSE Executive Order § went into effect on March 22, which required New Yorkers to stay at home to reduce the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.The largest * CIR is a database of immunization records and birth records.All vaccine doses administered to persons aged ≤18 years in NYC are required to be reported to CIR within 14 days of administration according to the NYC Health Code and New York State Public Health Law.Birth certificates are uploaded to CIR twice per week.† Pharmacies and hospital nurseries were excluded because they do not administer routine childhood immunizations in NYC.In New York State, pharmacies are only authorized to administer influenza vaccine to persons aged 2-18 years.Hospital nurseries only administer the hepatitis B birth dose to infants.§ https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-cuomo-issues-guidance-essentialservices-under-new-york-state-pause-executive-order.

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