In response to the World Health Organization’s warning that 80 million babies worldwide are missing routine vaccines due to the coronavirus—87% of Sermo physicians said they are concerned about the long-term implications, according to a Sermo poll of 300+ physicians. In addition, 56% reported to have observed a decline in their own practices or communities. But only 4% believe that a decline in childhood vaccines is a necessary step to curb the spread of Covid-19.
In contrast, 55% believe that maintaining routine childhood vaccines needs to be the top priority because the diseases they prevent, such as measles and polio, have proven to be more damaging to children than the coronavirus. WHO reported that measles surged globally last year, resulting in 140,000 deaths—most of them young children.
A resounding 91% of Sermo physicians polled responded that they believe governments need to step up awareness about this trend and encourage parents to safely vaccinate their children during these uncertain times. Here’s a snippet of their thoughts, in their own words…
