Make sure kids’ vaccines are up to date

Doctors stress the importance of protection as infections like measles are on the rise globally

- NICOLE IRELAND

Dr. Laura Sauvé, president-elect of the Canadian Paediatric Society, said some children still may not be caught up on routine vaccinations because of COVID-19 disruptions.

Amid a rise in infections such as measles and whooping cough in Canada and around the world, doctors say now is the perfect time for parents to ensure their kids and teens are protected against vaccine-preventable diseases.

"It is absolutely the time of year when families start thinking about their back-to-school checklists like school supplies... healthy lunches, et cetera," Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada's chief public health officer, said in an interview last month.

"Making sure your kids are up to date with the routine vaccination is part of that checklist," she said, noting that kids will once again be mingling in classrooms and illnesses can spread.

On Thursday, the New Brunswick department of health declared an outbreak of whooping cough, with 141 cases reported so far this year.

The province "strongly encouraged" parents to check the status of their children's immunizations as the new school year approaches.

Whooping cough, also called pertussis, can be very serious and even life-threatening, especially for very young children, Tam said.

It can also significantly affect otherwise healthy kids, teens and adults, she said.

"We call it the 100-day cough," Tam said. "It can lead to (a) significant amount of coughing for a very long time." Dr. Laura Sauvé, president-elect of the Canadian Paediatric Society, said some children still may not be caught up on routine vaccinations they missed due to COVID-19 disruptions.

In addition, the pandemic drove an increase in vaccine hesitancy fuelled by misinformation circulating on social media, she said.