Department of Health data shows fewer children are getting routine vaccinations

Local pediatricians are concerned as fewer kids are getting their routine childhood vaccinations.

Indiana data shows 25% of kindergartners and 6th graders did not get the recommended immunizations last school year.

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The latest data from the Indiana Department of Health shows about half of toddlers between 19 and 35 months have not received their recommended vaccines.

In 2020, participation was nearly 70%.

"We've continued to see those numbers go down and some of that was because of discussions around the COVID vaccine," said Dr. Shannon Dillon. "Many people had concerns, some of those concerns have spread to parents for other vaccines, even though many of these vaccines have been available for 50 years."

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Pediatricians at Riley are also seeing fewer patients choose vaccinations for their children, both school-aged kids and newborns.

"Standard childhood vaccine series, like tetanus, polio, measles, mumps," said Dr. Dillon. "Or in some cases, some of the newer vaccines, like HPV or meningitis."

Dr. Dillon said some parents raise concern about what's in the vaccines. She said over the years, fewer preservatives are included as part of the vaccine.

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"We vaccinate kids for about twice as many diseases now as we did during in the 80's or 90's, and only about 10% as many chemicals are in the childhood vaccine series," she said. "Which is fantastic because we don't want to expose your child to any more things than we have to."

Meghan Willey's baby girl was due for her shots.

Willey believes the vaccinations will protect her 4-month-old and her toddler from illnesses.

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"Just really to make sure that they stay healthy. They both go to daycare so we don't want them to pick up anything there either," said Willey. "I think it's the safest, healthiest thing to do for your children."

"We know that these are very safe things to have done. We, as doctors who take care of children, feel very strongly about them and vaccinate our kids as soon we are able to," said Dr. Dillon.