Doctors in Omaha and across the country have pointed out an alarming trend likely brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic: fewer children have come in to get their vaccinations.Pediatricians like Melissa St. Germain said they understand parents want to keep their kids safe in the crisis. However, St. Germain, who works for Children's Physicians, said an unintended consequence of missing annual visits and vaccinations may be leaving a greater risk of another outbreak."At Children's Physicians, our rate of vaccination against pertussis, which is one of the illnesses that we do see every winter (whooping cough illness) -- our rates of that vaccination are down about 20%, and our rates of measles vaccine are down about 50%," St. Germain said. St. Germain, a member of the Nebraska chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said her colleagues and other experts have looked at the numbers. What they're finding, she said, shows childhood vaccinations have gone down not just in Nebraska, but across the entire country. "If we don't get these vaccines in, we are going to see some of these diseases come back," St. Germain said.Part of parents' concern, she said, may be bringing vulnerable babies to clinics where sick patients need treatment. St. Germain said she wants parents to know doctors and health experts are following every preventative measure possible."We are doing everything we can to separate people who are sick or potentially sick from people who are well. So, right now at Children's, we're actually using different clinics for our well visits and our sick visits," she said.St. Germain also said it's not just newborns she wants to check in on."It's also important for the older kids, even if they don't have any vaccines due. We do still want to see those kids every year," she said.The AAP recommends parents follow their guidelines on vaccination scheduling, which are the same as those published by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). If you're not sure if your child is due for one, call your doctor and ask.