Routine vaccination coverage at ages 2 and 7, before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic: Results from the STARVAX surveillance system.

OBJECTIVE

A decline in routine vaccination coverage in children has been observed after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it is unclear whether these declines were sustained over time. This analysis assessed changes in vaccination coverage at ages 2 and 7 years for routinely administered vaccinations before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

Vaccination coverage was measured using yearly data from the Standardized Reporting on Vaccination (STARVAX) surveillance system between December 31, 2019, and December 31, 2023. Four provinces (Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and New Brunswick) and one territory (Yukon) produced reports from their immunization registries and provided the Public Health Agency of Canada with the numbers of vaccinated 2-year-old and 7-year-old children. Population estimates from Statistics Canada and the Yukon Bureau of Statistics were used as the denominators.

RESULTS

There was a decline in vaccination coverage in 2023 compared to 2019. In 2-year-olds, coverage for one dose of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine and four doses of the diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccine decreased from 88.9% to 84.3% and from 79.6% to 73.3%, respectively. Among 7-year-olds, DTaP (up-to-date) and MMR (two doses) vaccination coverage decreased from 77.3% to 68.2% and 85.4% to 74.9%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

These declines are of concern and suggest that health care professionals should provide parents with accurate information regarding vaccines and encourage them to have their children vaccinated and keep vaccinations up to date.