Protecting Children Beyond COVID-19

By Debra Westcott, APN


AtlantiCare Health Services Pediatric Care

I’m so proud of our parents!

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic I noticed that there was a refreshing level of concern on the part of parents and other caregivers who wanted to be certain that their children would not be delayed in receiving one or more vaccines.

The COVID-19 pandemic added a level of challenge to keeping children up to date on vaccines.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported a decline in vaccination coverage for children during the pandemic.

This is understandable as parents and caregivers across the nation adhered to stay-at-home directives and healthcare providers cared for patients in new ways – including virtually.

At our pediatric practice in Atlantic City, we like many practices, cared for most of our patients virtually through our Telehealth program from mid-March to the end of April.

We took precautions to prevent spread of COVID-19 as we cared for patients in the office in an as-needed basis.

We began seeing children in the office for well and sick visits two days a week in early May and resumed our five-day a week scheduled before the end of the month.

We’ve especially focused on making sure we’ve kept and made new developmental or “well” visits for patients two-years-old and younger. It is during this time that a child is most susceptible to many diseases.

As a nurse practitioner, mother and grandmother, I know the importance of childhood vaccines.

AtlantiCare participates in the federal Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program. In highlighting the impact of the pandemic on this program, the CDC noted that children who are not vaccinated will be more vulnerable to diseases as social distancing requirements are relaxed.

When a parent decides not to vaccinate, I discuss the benefits of each individual vaccination dose with him or her. I explain what could happen in the event the child were to get the disease.

I’ve found that about 85 percent of the time, parents who have this information change their minds immediately. I believe this is a result of the personal level of trust parents have in me.

As healthcare providers, we earn trust. One important way we do so is by talking openly with our patients – and especially in the case of our youngest patients – with their parents and families.

I believe our uncommon success in keeping pediatric patients up to date with vaccines through the pandemic is due in large part to the trusting relationships we have with families.

We are a federally qualified health center. This means most of our patients are at risk for being medically underserved. A significant way we care for patients includes keeping them and their families engaged in their wellbeing.

We proactively reach out to them to make sure they are keeping appointments and we are available to them beyond office hours.

I’m happy healthcare providers have found new ways to connect with patients and families throughout the pandemic.

In the case of our pediatric patients, I am grateful that parents and families have embraced this additional form of care.

In my lifetime I’ve seen smallpox eradicated thanks to immunizations. Vaccinations had helped us achieve an era of no diphtheria and no polio and we were nearly free from measles.

Our continued focus as healthcare providers will be to stress the importance of making sure children are vaccinated.

Additionally, we must explain to families the lengths to which we have gone and will continue to go to care for them safely. Vaccines are key to preventing childhood disease and protecting children throughout their adult years.

Well and sick visits are critical to preventing and/or identifying and treating all illnesses and keeping families and communities healthy.