The CDC is warning of potential measles outbreaks as kids miss getting vaccines while in lockdown

• With many states issuing shelter-in-place orders, children are not getting the vaccinations they need to protect against measles.
• In a CDC study, researchers observed that there was a notable decrease in the amount of children being vaccinated.
• They warned the public that children were potentially at risk for a future measles outbreak.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

With children in states with shelter-in-place orders unable to get the measles vaccines they need, there could be another outbreak brewing, the CDC said on Friday.

In a CDC study, researchers examined data from the Vaccines for Children Program, a federally funded program that provides vaccines to half of all American children under 18, and the CDC's own vaccine tracking systems.

They found that after Trump declared the US to be in a state of national emergency, there was "a notable decrease" in orders of childhood vaccines.

"The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is a reminder of the importance of vaccination," the study authors wrote. "The identified declines in routine pediatric vaccine ordering and doses administered might indicate that U.S. children and their communities face increased risks for outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases."

In February, before a state of emergency was declared, about 2,500 children under the age of 24 months were getting vaccinated every week. By April that amount had fallen to about 1,500.

For those under the age of 18, the numbers were worse, going from 2,500 kids getting vaccinated every week to under 500 vaccinations administered weekly.

The study authors noted that parents not wanting to expose their children to illnesses during check-ups may be contributing to the lowered rate of vaccinations.

It isn't just American children that are at-risk. The World Health Organization issued a statement noting that 117 million children all over the world were at risk of missing their vaccines.

Not vaccinating for measles can prove deadly

In 2018, over 140,000 people died from measles, most of whom were babies and young children. With proper vaccinations, most of those deaths could have been prevented.

The first measles vaccination shot is given at 12 to 15 months, and the second is given between the ages of four and six. According to a WHO and UNICEF estimate, 86% of children around the world received the first dose of the vaccine in 2018, but less than 70% received the second dose.

One 2015 estimate shows that if vaccinations were stopped, 2.7 million people would die from measles, and would cause a massive epidemic, the likes of which existed in America pre-vaccine.

Measles is one of the most contagious diseases on earth, so much so that 90% of people who come in contract with it will get infected. Measles can remain in the air for up to two hours, so just entering the room of someone who is sick can spread an infection.

The study authors called for coordinated efforts between healthcare providers and public health officials at local, state, and federal levels to catch up on vaccination rates for American children.