The coronavirus crisis and confinement should not lead parents to postpone for several months the vaccination of children under two years of age against potentially serious diseases, such as measles or meningitis, pediatricians unions alerted on Wednesday.
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"Pretty ridiculous not to prevent diseases already under control"
"It would be rather ridiculous not to prevent diseases already under control, in the name of a disease which spares babies", summed up Dr Mariam-Natacha Haidara, pediatrician practicing in Paris and at the Red Cross, and who is part doctors relaying this call. "With fear and the constraints of confinement, parents no longer come to the compulsory pediatric consultations and to the various compulsory vaccinations," said Dr Haidara.
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This could lead to "the upsurge of diseases so far well controlled"
However, "if vaccination coverage is not ensured in its continuity", this could lead "in the months to come, to the resurgence of diseases so far well controlled on the territory", such as measles, whooping cough or meningitis, she said. The medical visits for the vaccination of toddlers are considered by the health authorities as part of the "urgent" consultations remaining authorized within the framework of confinement, recalled the pediatrician unions.
The families whose usual pediatrician has closed his office because of the epidemic crisis should not conclude that "the vaccine can wait", but seek another specialist, underlines Dr Haidara. Parents can also be reassured about the respect of barrier gestures in medical offices, according to her, especially since the attendance is much lower than usual: "the number of consultations has decreased significantly, especially because that, for bobology, we work by teleconsultation ".
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