Local health departments request routine vaccinations

CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY, NY (WKBW) – It’s World Immunization Week and the World Health Organization is reminding parents to keep up to date with their child’s immunizations.

“It is far better to prevent disease than to suffer the consequences of disease, which in many cases will be serious consequences or possibly death. Vaccines are our best means of preventing these serious consequences,” said Thomas Russo, MD . and chief professor of infectious diseases at the University at Buffalo.

According to WHO,more than 17,300 measles cases were reported worldwide in January and February 2022, compared to 9,665 cases in the first months of 2021.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Russo says many children and adults have missed important vaccinations.

“We have learned that if we don’t follow through with our vaccinations, we can have outbreaks of serious diseases that we thought were eradicated in this country. A major and most recent example is an outbreak of measles which resulted in severe cases and poor results,” Russo said.

In Chautauqua County, 7 News reporter Jaurdyn Johnson spoke with Dr. Michael Faulk, the county’s chief medical officer – he says the county is seeing fewer children getting vaccinated after the pandemic.

“Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve seen a decrease in the number of children not getting a routine checkup, so they’re missing that routine vaccination,” Faulk said.

According to 2022 Chautauqua County Health Assessmentfrom 2017 to 2019, the county had more pertussis cases, 21, than New York State, excluding New York City.

Dr. Faulk says having an isolated case of polio and measles is typical.

“We see some here and there, and sometimes these things get reported all over New York State,” Faulk said.

Faulk, a father of five, urges parents to consider the risks and benefits of getting vaccinated.

“It’s clear to me in my mind that these benefits far outweigh the risks of vaccines, I want to do my best as a parent to protect my children, and this is the easiest way to do that. “, Faulk said.