key: cord-0962906-6ki4g30n authors: Özer, Murat; Başkaya, Nevzat; Bostancı, İlknur title: Attitudes towards influenza and pneumococcal vaccines in parents of asthmatic children during the COVID‐19 pandemic date: 2022-03-14 journal: Pediatr Pulmonol DOI: 10.1002/ppul.25886 sha: 0d840b4a7bf613ed4f169463d8d4287800544e2d doc_id: 962906 cord_uid: 6ki4g30n We would like to share comments on the publication "Attitudes Towards Influenza and Pneumococcal Vaccines in Parents of Asthmatic Children During the COVID-19 Pandemic". This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. World Health Organization (WHO) guideline for routine immunization services during the COVID-19 outbreak, it is recommended to know the epidemiology of country-specific vaccine-preventable diseases, to evaluate the health and immunization system resources, and to have dynamic follow-ups, all while making decisions regarding immunization services. 2 In accordance with the WHO recommendations, our country's health institutions have been recommended to take the necessary precautions specific to the COVID-19 pandemic period and to continue the complete national age-appropriate vaccination regimen. It has been reported that there has been a decrease in the number of children's health follow-ups since the beginning of the pandemic in the United States. 3 This has led to a decrease in vaccination rates. When the country's numbers of vaccine doses administered between the January-April 2019 and January-April 2020 periods were compared, a significant decrease was observed, especially after March 2020. 4 Our research 5 has shown that parents of asthmatic children have had increased rates and requests for their children to be vaccinated against influenza during the COVID-19 pandemic. The influenza vaccine is not included in our country's routine childhood vaccination calendar. In the years before the pandemic, although parents of asthmatic children were advised to vaccinate their children, it was seen that the rate of vaccination in our country was not high. 6 We think that there has been an increase in the acceptance of influenza vaccines because of parents' concerns about the health of their children with asthma diagnoses during the pandemic process. In a study by Zhong et al. 7 in Singapore, it was determined that the vaccination rates in children decreased during the COVID 19 pandemic. Similar observations are reported from the United States and Brazil. [8] [9] [10] However, it would not be correct to directly compare the results of these studies with our study because an influenza vaccine is not included in the routine childhood vaccination calendar of our country. Besides, our study was not conducted on a healthy child population like other studies, but on a selected patient group with asthma diagnoses. COVID-19 disrupts vaccine delivery Guidance on routine immunization services during COVID-19 pandemic in the WHO European Region Guidance on providing pediatric well-care during COVID-19 Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Routine Pediatric Vaccine Ordering and Administration -United States Attitudes towards influenza and pneumococcal vaccines in parents of asthmatic children during the COVID-19 pandemic Parental perspectives on influenza vaccination in children with asthma Childhood vaccinations: hidden impact of COVID-19 on children in Singapore Pediatric vaccination during the COVID-19 pandemic US Primary care providers' experiences and practices related to routine pediatric vaccination during the COVID-19 pandemic Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on routine pediatric vaccination in Brazil Attitudes towards influenza and pneumococcal vaccines in parents of asthmatic children during the COVID-19 pandemic