小児、ワクチン接種率低下　はしかなど感染の恐れ―新型コロナで受診控えか・ＮＰＯ

　はしかや細菌性髄膜炎の発症を予防するためのワクチン接種率が小児で低下傾向にあることが、ＮＰＯ法人の調査で分かった。ＮＰＯは「新型コロナウイルスの感染拡大が影響し、保護者が通院をためらっている可能性があるが、速やかに接種してほしい」と呼び掛けている。
　ＮＰＯ法人「ＶＰＤを知って、子どもを守ろうの会」（東京都）は、細菌性髄膜炎予防のための小児用肺炎球菌ワクチン１回目と、風疹とはしかの混合（ＭＲ）ワクチン１期のそれぞれの接種率を、スマートフォン用の無料アプリを使い調査。アプリに登録する保護者の入力を基に、２０１７年４月～今年１月に出生した計１０万３１０８人の接種状況を分析した。
　生後３カ月までの小児用肺炎球菌ワクチン１回目の接種率は、１９年１１月以降に生まれた乳児で低下傾向がみられ、特に今年１月生まれでは約２０％低下した。乳児の細菌性髄膜炎は、死亡や後遺症の危険性がある。
　また、１歳で接種するＭＲワクチンを生後１４カ月の子どもについて分析したところ、１８年１２月生まれ以降の幼児で低下傾向が目立ち、約２０％低下した。ＮＰＯの理事長を務める菅谷明則医師は「どちらのワクチンも接種する子どもが減ると、集団免疫効果が落ちる恐れがある。できるだけ早期に接種するよう心掛けてほしい」と求めている。（2020/05/28-13:30）

The rates of children being vaccinated for measles and bacterial meningitis in Japan are on the decline, a recent survey by a nonprofit organization has found.
   The NPO, Know VPD! Protect Our Children, said some parents may be shying away from taking their children to the hospital for vaccinations due to the effects of the COVID-19 epidemic.
   For the survey, the NPO gathered information on the vaccination statuses of 103,108 children born between April 2017 and January this year, through a free smartphone app designed for parents to enter such data. The survey looked at the ratios of those who have taken the first round of pneumococcus vaccine for children and the first stage of measles-rubella vaccine.
   The NPO found that the proportion of children getting pneumococcus vaccines, effective in preventing bacterial meningitis, by the third month of their lives was on the decline for children born in November 2019 or later, and the rate for children born in January this year was around 20 percentage points lower compared to babies born in earlier months. Bacterial meningitis can expose newborns to the threat of death or severe aftereffects.
   Meanwhile, the survey saw a drop of roughly 20 percentage points in the proportion of children who took the measles-rubella vaccine for those born in December 2018 or later. The vaccine is administered one year after birth, and the survey looked at children who were 14 months old.