TOLEDO, Ohio — According to Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, the state has seen a decrease in child wellness visits because of coronavirus concerns, putting many kids behind in typical immunizations and vaccinations.
"We, of course, at our practice were a bit concerned when the pandemic hit, so we knew that it was going to be a problem. The Academy of Pediatrics knew that it was going to be a problem," ProMedica pediatrician Dr. Brenda Hartley said.
Although summer months are typically a busy time for pediatricians, Hartley said the decrease they've seen is because many parents were nervous to come to a hospital or doctor's office and risk being exposed to coronavirus.
Over the last couple months, Hartley's office only saw a quarter of the patients they normally see, but that is starting to change.
Hartley said they are almost back to capacity now that things have opened up, and the majority of the patients they're seeing are ones who are not feeling sick.
"If there's any concern of any illness at all, we have a specified time of illness appointments at the end of the day," she said.
Within their office, Hartley said everyone is required to wear masks, temperatures are taken before they are let into the office and they try to limit the amount of time people are in the waiting rooms.
"This is a big time for us as far as getting children in for kindergarten visits, pre-school visits; athletes need appointments for well visits," Hartley said.
She said the biggest thing pediatricians are concerned about now, is limiting the resurgence of infections that are preventable like measles and chicken pox.