Vaccine delay in routine childhood vaccines in the post-COVID-19 era in Jiangning, Nanjing, China.

Objective: There is evidence indicating that the routine childhood vaccines rate has decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to investigate the status of routine childhood vaccinations in the post-pandemic era and assess whether it has reverted to pre-pandemic levels. Methods: We collected children born between January 1, 2013 and November 30, 2024 who were vaccinated in the vaccination clinic of Nanjing Jiangning Hospital. We conducted an analysis of the delayed vaccination situation during this period, compared the differences across the three phases-the pre-COVID-19 era, the COVID-19 era, the post-COVID-19 era-and examined the temporal changing trends following the epidemic. Results: Compared to the pre-epidemic period, most routine childhood vaccinations delayed both during and after the epidemic period. In the post-pandemic phase, many vaccines (Bacillus Calmette-Guérin, Poliomyelitis vaccine3, Diphtheria, Tetanus and Acellular Pertussis Combined Vaccine3, Diphtheria, and Tetanus Combined Vaccine, Measles-containing vaccine1-2, Live attenuated Japanese Encephalitis Vaccine1-2, Group AC meningitis polysaccharide vaccine2) were administered even later than during the epidemic, and there were no signs of improvement over time. Conclusions: Delays in routine vaccination of children persist after the pandemic, possibly due to a lack of confidence in the vaccine. More effective measures are needed to improve this worrying situation.