Routine immunization rates declined during pandemic: study

Mar 31, 2023 | 11:09 AM

A University of Alberta study says many teens have missed vital routine vaccinations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Shannon MacDonald, a registered nurse and associate professor in the school’s faculty of nursing, says extra measures are needed to ensure students are protected against HPV and meningitis.

She and her research team found that rates of routine immunizations in grades six and nine declined dramatically during the pandemic.

The research team reviewed immunization records from nearly 300,000 Alberta teens scheduled to receive the vaccines before, during and immediately after pandemic school closures.

Routine immunization rates declined during pandemic: study

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