Mayo Clinic Health System
  • Request an Appointment
  • Patient Online Services
    • Find
      a Service
    • Find
      a Provider
    • Find
      a Location
    • Visit
      our Blog
    • Contact
      Us
    • Refer
      A Patient
    • Patient Stories
    Before you call: Visit our COVID-19 webpage for vaccine updates, safe care and visitor guidelines, and trusted coronavirus information.
    • Request an Appointment
    • Patient Online Services
    • Pay Bills Online
    • Refer a Patient
    • For Patients & Visitors
    • Financial Assistance
    • Donate
    • Careers
    • Volunteer
    • For Medical Professionals
    • About Us
    • Community Resources
    • Press Room
    • Mayo Clinic
    • CaringBridge
    ERROR!

    Find Classes & Events in Your Area

    Posted By
    Jennifer Johnson DO

    Jennifer Johnson, D.O.

    Family Medicine

    Recent Posts

    • Speaking of Health
      Preparing kids for a flu shot: Tips to help parents
      October 22, 2020
    • Featured Topic
      Get vaccinated early for flu
      September 28, 2020
    Featured Topics
    • Behavioral Health
    • Cancer
    • Children's Health (Pediatrics)
    • Diabetes
    • Exercise and Fitness
    • Heart Health
    • Men's Health
    • Obstetrics and Gynecology
    • Weight Loss and Bariatric Surgery
    • Women's Health
    Speaking of Health
    Thursday, December 3, 2020

    Childhood vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic

    Infant crawling on carpet

    There are many serious illnesses that not only make you or your child feel terrible, but also present major risks to health. Fortunately, vaccines have been proven to be safe and effective in preventing a variety of diseases and conditions. Some of these diseases may appear to pose a minimal threat, but the recent COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the wide-reaching impact of a disease that cannot be easily treated or prevented with a vaccine.

    During the COVID-19 pandemic, parents are asked to be thoughtful about bringing children to public spaces, such as retail stores and clinics. However, families should try to keep their children on the recommended vaccine schedule as much as possible.

    Importance of vaccines

    Vaccinations are important, especially for young children. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an infant receives some passive immunity from their mother after birth. However, these immunities wear off during the child’s first year with some starting as early as 2 months.

    Without vaccinations, young children’s bodies often can't fight diseases. This can lead to serious complications with lifelong impacts and even death.

    Immunization schedule

    The CDC has a recommended schedule of immunizations for children based on when your child will get the most protection from the vaccine. In some cases, it is not as simple as catching up the next year, because your child will remain unprotected for a year or there could be other consequences. This is the same schedule recommended by The American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Physicians and many other groups.

    Safety at clinics

    Medical clinics are open and ready to safely administer vaccines for your child. However, traveling to the clinic may cause some uneasiness. Your family's safety is a priority for your health care provider, so that's why health care organizations have made significant changes to their spaces and processes to protect the safety of patients of all ages.

    Changes could include screening at entrances, requiring everyone to wear a mask, enhanced cleaning standards and limiting the number of people in the building. These changes are made to create safe environments for in-person care to patients while protecting the safety of patients, staff and visitors.

    Talk with your health care provider

    Your health care provider can answer your questions and help your family determine if vaccines are needed now or can be postponed. Factors that should be considered include if your geographic area is experiencing an increase in COVID-19 cases, the age of your children, which vaccines are needed and safety measures implemented by the health care organization.

    In a world of uncertainty, protecting yourself and your loved ones is of great importance. Vaccinations are at the front line of disease defense, and are one of the safest, most cost-effective preventive health measures.

    Jennifer Johnson, D.O., is a Family Medicine physician in Mankato, Minnesota.


    For the safety of our patients, staff and visitors, Mayo Clinic has strict masking policies in place. Anyone shown without a mask was either recorded prior to COVID-19 or recorded in a non-patient care area where social distancing and other safety protocols were followed.
    Topics in this Post
    • COVID-19
    • Immunizations
    • Children's Health (Pediatrics)
    • Pediatric Medicine
    • Back to School

    Stay Connected

    • Hometown Health

    Find Out What’s Happening in Your Community

    Stay Informed with the Latest
    • Notice of Nondiscrimination
    • Notice of Privacy Practices
    • Terms of Use
    © 2018 - 2020 Mayo Clinic Health System