medRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.06.25.21259371; this version posted June 30, 2021. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted medRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under a CC-BY-ND 4.0 International license . The Impact of COVID-19 Restrictions on Childhood Vaccination Uptake: A Rapid Review Heneghan C,1 Brassey J,2 Jefferson T.1 (Version 1, 21 June 2021) COLLATERAL GLOBAL Affiliations: 1. The University of Oxford 2. Trip Database Ltd https://www.tripdatabase.com Corresponding author email:
[email protected] Abstract Background Vaccines are highly effective for preventing a range of childhood infections. However, there have been concerns about an alarming decline in vaccinations in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods We performed a rapid review for studies that assessed childhood vaccination uptake during restrictive phases of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results We found 35 published studies that compared changes in the pattern of childhood vaccinations before and during the pandemic. Thirteen were surveys; two mixed-methods surveys and interviews, three modelling studies and 17 retrospective cohort studies with historical controls. We also included ten reports by national or international agencies that had original data on vaccination uptake. Significant global disruptions to vaccine services were reported in Africa, Asia, America (including Latin America and the Caribbean) and Europe. We also found evidence of significant disruption to vaccine uptake for diphtheria tetanus pertussis, BCG, measles and polio.