NEW ORLEANS - Medical communities across the globe are, understandably, focused on halting the spread of novel coronavirus and treating current cases. 

But a few physicians are concerned that with all the focus on coronavirus, some of the world's most vulnerable individuals won't be treated for other illnesses that can easily overtake them.

According to WWL-TV, pediatricians are seeing fewer parents bring their children in for regular vaccines. 

New Orleans pediatrician, Dr. Michael Wasserman of Ochsner Hospital for Children, told reporters he fears there could be a wave of sick children if this trend doesn't change sometime soon.

"These are very serious diseases which are preventable, so if we’re worried about coronavirus being a bad disease, and indeed it is, we’ve got a whole bunch of other bad diseases," Dr. Wasserman said.

He reminds parents that illnesses such as mumps, measles and whooping cough can cause brain damage, infertility, loss of hearing and death.

"Measles is even more contagious than coronavirus. The droplets can stay in the air in a room for two to four hours," he explained. 

Dr. Wasserman is letting his Metairie patients know that well visits are in a different location from sick patient visits.

"These are things that are important to prevent and I think we take them a little too much for granted, because most people don’t remember having seen epidemics of these diseases," Dr. Wasserman said.

And this epidemic is preventable.

"Please, please, please, don’t defer, don’t delay get your immunizations now," Dr. Wasserman pleaded.

He says doctors have also been asked if a coronavirus vaccine is included in the childhood vaccines. He reminds us that there is still no vaccine for this coronavirus.