Missed routine pediatric care and vaccinations in US children during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic

Prev Med. 2022 May; 158: 107025. Published online 2022 Mar 19. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2022.107025

Several studies have shown that over the past two years, pediatric visits and routine immunizations have decreased significantly. 41.3% of parents reported their youngest child missed a routine medical visit due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Missed care was more common among children ≥2 years compared to <2 years and African Americans compared to non-Hispanic Whites.

Why Is This Important? Having a large pool of unvaccinated children, especially in the African American community, can lead to the emergence of several diseases which are ordinarily, less of a problem. It is important that we reach out to pediatricians and physicians caring for these children to get their patients in for vaccination.

A Guide to Keeping Up With the Sub Variants of COVID-19

Excellent article by Lewis Jacobson published in Politifax, May 6, 2022. It provides a guide to keeping up with an ever-changing variants of the Omicron virus.

The omicron subvariants seem like an alphabet soup of letters and numbers. The original omicron variant was called B.1.1.529. They all differ from each other by having different mutations in the spike protein. Generally, the higher the number following “BA” in the subvariant’s name, the more infectious that subvariant is. In the United States, for instance, BA.1.1 was dominant in late January, having overtaken the initial variant, B.1.1.529. But by mid-March, BA.1.1 began losing ground to BA.2, which became dominant by early April. By late April, another subvariant — BA.2.12.1 — was gaining steam, accounting for almost 29% of infections, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Why Is This Important? With only 65 % of the world’s population immunized with at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, there will be new variants. Keeping up with them and their potential to infect, to keep yourself and your family safe.

Atopic Dermatitis 

Presents Differently in Patients with “Skin of color vs. Lighter Skin tones”

This difference in presentation can be a caused by genetic factors. Atopic dermatitis may also have a greater negative impact on quality of life. Atopic dermatitis can also be associated with asthma food allergies and allergic nasal problems.

Why Is This Important?  When being treating for atopic dermatitis in patients with darker skin tones, keep in mind:

• Long-term use of topic steroids may lead to loss of skin color;
• Delayed diagnosis and treatment can lead to greater severity; and
• Several new treatments for severe atopic dermatitis are now available.

About the Editor

Michael LeNoir M.D. is an allergist and pediatrician who has practiced pediatrics and clinical allergy full time since 1977. He is board certified by and a fellow of both the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology and in 2014 was elected and served as the 114^th President of the National Medical Association.

The Newsletter is sponsored by the African American Wellness Project (AAWP) and the Bayarea Registry.