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World J Virol. Dec 25, 2023; 12(5): 256-261
Published online Dec 25, 2023. doi: 10.5501/wjv.v12.i5.256
Routine pediatric vaccinations during the COVID-19 pandemic: A review of the global impact
Jennifer Locke, Aleksandra Marinkovic, Kareem Hamdy, Vyshnavy Balendra, Adekunle Sanyaolu
Jennifer Locke, Aleksandra Marinkovic, Kareem Hamdy, Vyshnavy Balendra, Basic Medical Science, Saint James School of Medicine, The Quarter 2640 0000, Anguilla
Adekunle Sanyaolu, Osteopathic Medicine, D’Youville University, 320 Porter Ave, Buffalo, NY 14201, United States
Author contributions: Locke J and Sanyaolu A did the conceptualization and methodology; Locke J, Marinkovic A, Hamdy K, and Balendra V did the writing-original draft preparation; Sanyaolu A did the writing-review, and editing of the study.
Conflict-of-interest statement: There is no conflict of interest associated with any of the senior author or other coauthors contributed their efforts in this manuscript.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Adekunle Sanyaolu, PhD, Academic Research, Director, Osteopathic Medicine, D’Youville University, 320 Porter Ave, Buffalo, NY 14201, United States. sanyakunle@hotmail.com
Received: September 1, 2023
Peer-review started: September 1, 2023
First decision: September 14, 2023
Revised: September 22, 2023
Accepted: October 25, 2023
Article in press: October 25, 2023
Published online: December 25, 2023
Processing time: 115 Days and 11.3 Hours
Abstract

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has put standard, routine childhood vaccinations at risk worldwide. The disruption in vaccine coverage has resulted in a negative impact on the health of children, with some races, ethnicities, age groups, areas of settlement, and parts of the world affected more than others. This literature review studied and examined the impact of COVID-19 on infant, child, and adolescent vaccinations. Retrospectively, the analysis showed a decline, delays, or interruptions in the coverage of vaccines during the pan-demic and a decline in some countries' pre-pandemic and post-pandemic eras. Necessary attempts and efforts should be made for these delayed and missed vaccinations, as failure to do so could put children's health at risk. Thus, priority should be directed at instituting catch-up programs to support vaccine uptake and decrease the probability of acquiring vaccine-preventable diseases.

Keywords: Pediatric; Vaccination; Coronavirus disease 2019; Humans; Pandemics

Core Tip: Studies worldwide have reported a decline in vaccination rates among the pediatric population because of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. The disruption in vaccine coverage has resulted in a negative impact on the health of children, with some races, ethnicities, age groups, areas of settlement, and parts of the world affected more than others. Government efforts should be directed towards reversing these missed vaccinations.