Routine vaccinations during COVID-19

The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has brought with it fear and uncertainty. Many parents are asking about when there will be a COVID-19 vaccine and what to do about routine childhood vaccinations during the pandemic. We're here to provide answers to your most common questions.

When will the vaccine for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) be available?

Experts around the world are working hard to develop a vaccine against the disease. In fact, many different vaccines are being developed simultaneously. Innovative approaches to vaccine development are being used, based partially in what was learn from the responses to Ebola and SARS. If successful, this will be the fastest vaccine development and validation process in history.

Researchers are also looking for drugs to slow down how the virus spreads in the body and reduce the serious breathing problems it can cause in ill patients. But even with the fastest methods, the use of drugs in humans for a new disease needs to be tested to ensure safety and efficacy.

Should my child still get routine vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic?

While COVID-19 is disrupting our daily lives, the short answer is yes, do try to get your child vaccinated where services are available. It is important that children and babies keep their vaccinations up to date because they protect them from serious diseases. It means that when your children can return to interacting with other children, they’ll have protection from some other diseases too.

If you are unsure of whether or not your immunization service is still running as usual, please check with your health care provider. Because the COVID-19 situation is changing every day, you might find your health care providers will be adjusting their way of providing care as things change. If you cannot get to a clinic when your child’s next vaccinations are due, make a note somewhere to try again as soon as the services resume.

What do you think we can learn from this outbreak? What can it teach us about other diseases and the decision to vaccinate?

This outbreak reminds us of how valuable vaccines are. It shows us that when there is a vaccine available for a disease, we should keep our children and ourselves up to date with that vaccination. Without the protection of vaccines, diseases can spread quickly and with terrible consequences. For example, measles and other diseases remain a constant risk. We are so fortunate to have the protection of vaccines against these diseases.