Parents and carers have been reminded to ensure their children’s vaccinations are up to date as the Royal Children‘s Hospital (RCH) Immunisation Service reports that two out of three families are delaying or cancelling immunisation appointments.
Fearful there may be a problem, Premier Daniel Andrews said families appeared to be delaying vaccinations due to the current pandemic.
“Surveys show that the most common reason for delaying vaccinations was because parents were concerned that they or their child would catch coronavirus,” Mr Andrews said.
“The Royal Children‘s Hospital (RCH) Immunisation Service has seen a concerning decrease in presentations since June,” he said.
“Public health advice shows that disruptions to routine childhood immunisations put individual children at increased risk of getting an infectious disease that is vaccine-preventable.”
Mr Andrews said that if too many families missed their vaccination appointments it posed a crucial risk to the level of herd immunity amongst Victorian children and put other children at risk too.
He said RCH had opened a new drive-through clinic so parents and carers could ensure children kept up to date with their immunisations outside of the hospital environment.
“Vaccinations aren’t the only thing medical appointments are delaying, with fewer families presenting at hospitals during the pandemic across the State,” he said.
“The Royal Children’s Hospital has seen less than 60 per cent of the normal activity since the pandemic began.”
Mr Andrews said families could feel confident visiting hospitals and clinics, and urged every Victorian to make and keep medical appointments when needed, no matter the stage of restrictions.
