Childhood immunizations still well below normal due to COVID-19

Staff at the Super Shot clinics estimates that the number of kids they've seen for immunizations for August is down at least 50%.

Hunter petroviak.

Thanks for joining us.

The start of the school year is bringing new challenges in dealing with covid-19 for families and school officials, and routine items like childhood immunizations are suffering beca caleb it.

Fox 55 saylor is live with more on where the community is at with childhood immunizations.

Caleb??we reported on this issue in june, according to supershot, childhood immunizations were down nearly 75%, and while that number has improved, immunizations are still way down from where there supposed to be, especially se already started school.

The 2020 school year has brought new challenges due to covid-19.

Wearing masks, digital learning, and getting your child immunized.

Super shot director connie heflin says she understand why some families have put immunizations on the back burn face ite we all been living a different life due to covid, and so it been hard to get into doctor offices and manage all the different appointments that we need.

And april, supershot would normally see about 1200 kids, that number dropped to around 300 because families were afraid of covid-19 clinic director april moord says those numbers have improved, but ecently, h.

We e seen an uptick fo numbers for the clinic immunizations.

However, we knowe still erall we down anywhere from forty to eighty percent for kids that need shots for school.

August, they estimated they only saw 600 kids for immunizations, about 50% of what they normally do and now they are taking the clinic to students super shot is going around to different schools, providing required immunizations to children who don have it.

Last week at garrett-keyser-butler, the gave 60 students their immunizations.

Heflin says theye doing this to help keep everyone safe.

Going to schools, providing those immunizations on site is really meant to be a convenience for families and to keep the students healthy, the school healthy, and our whole community healthy.

Moord explained that they are seeing the largest drop in numbers in those in the kindergarten and sixth grade groups, so they are especially encouraging families with kids in those grades to get their immunizations.

And the clinic are taking extra precautions to limit the spread of covid and say they are ready to safely serve the community.

Reporting live ... in fort wayne, caleb saylor ... fox 55 news.

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