H1N1 Recalls, Holiday Hours, and Booster Info

H1N1 Vaccine Recalls

• Some of you may have read or heard on the news that certain lots of Thimersol-free H1N1 injectable Vaccine given to patients ages 6 mos-35 mos were recently recalled
• None of the Nasal Mist was recalled
  
• We are happy to say that we did not have these lots at Elm Street Pediatrics, so if you received the vaccine at our office, this does not affect your child!!
• In addition, please note: the recall did NOT happen because the vaccines were unsafe in any way, but rather due to questions of their effectiveness; thus, do not let this news worry you about the safety of the vaccines your child received

H1N1 and Influenza Booster Info

• As noted previously, we are currently offering booster doses for both the H1N1 and Seasonal Flu vaccines
• All children under age 10 are recommended to receive boosters of the H1N1 vaccine, ideally 4 weeks but as soon as 3 weeks after the first dose
• All children receiving the seasonal flu shot for the first time under age 9 are also recommended to get a booster shot at least 4 weeks following the first dose
• In order to make scheduling smoother and easier, please do NOT call to schedule the booster until your child is due to receive it... we cannot schedule all children for boosters several weeks in advance as our flu clinic schedules are not set that far ahead of time!!
• Thanks for your understanding with that issue!

Holiday Hours:

• A reminder of our holiday hours:
• Thurday Dec 24 and Thursday Dec 31: 8:30 am-1:00 pm with walk-ins from 8:30-10 am
  
• Friday Dec 25 and Friday Jan 1: closed for holiday, but available via pager/ on-call as needed
• Saturday Dec 26 and Saturday Jan 2: open as regular Saturday hours starting at 9:00 am

Thank you!
Happy holidays!!
Stay Warm!!!

-esp

Boosters Galore

Good news from Elm Street Pediatrics regarding Flu vaccines....

H1N1 Vaccine

• First dose and booster doses now available for the following ages: 6 mos-35 mos, 4 years and older
• For kids aged 36 mos-4 years old (i.e. 3 year olds) please discuss with one of the physicians to determine the best approach
• For the booster: it is ideally given 21-28 days after the first dose; also, if the first dose was a mist, it is preferred that the second is a mist -- likewise if the first dose was a shot, it is preferred that the second is a shot -- however, if for availability reasons it is necessary to get the other form of vaccine, that IS acceptable
  
• Please call the front desk to schedule
  

Seasonal Flu Vaccine

• The seasonal flu vaccine is available for ALL kids 6 months of age and older on a first come, first serve basis
  
• Please call the front desk to schedule

What illnesses are going around now??

• We are still seeing H1N1 Influenza circulating in the community
• It is true that we are seeing less H1N1 flu than we had seen in previous months
• December is typically the beginning of Seasonal Influenza
• We are starting to see seasonal Influenza this month; this typically peaks in February and extends into the spring months, however every season is slightly different.
  

The AAP has launched a new website for parents, with tips and links.

• If you are interested: http://healthychildren.org/
  

A special thanks to all the extra work put in by our front office and nursing staff during this busy time, as we try to vaccinate everyone as quickly as possible...

Thanks for reading!

Happy holidays!! Our Holiday hours will be posted next week.


Please don't hesitate to call with ANY questions, comments, or concerns!!!

- the doctors at Elm Street Pediatrics

H1N1 Vaccines, New Thursday Walk-In Hours, and Other Notes

H1N1 Vaccine Update: Kids Between ages 6 mos and 35 mos old

• We have H1N1 vaccine for children of this age!
• If your child has not been scheduled for this vaccine yet, you may call and schedule them with the front desk
  
• Booster doses for this age group are available as well, and will be until we run out of vaccine; this second dose is recommended 3-4 weeks after the first dose is given
• The CDC estimates that for children of this age, 30% of children are fully protected after 1 dose of vaccine, while approximately 95% are fully protected after the second dose of vaccine

H1N1 Vaccine Update: School-Aged Kids

• The Winnetka School District has announced its vaccination plan for kids ages kindergarten-8th grade: http://www.winnetka36.org/newsfeed.php?ID=6619
• We do recommend the H1N1 vaccine for this age group
• As a reminder, booster doses are recommended 3-4 weeks after the first dose is given for all kids under age 10
• For children not in the Winnetka School District, a reminder that vaccine is available through Skokie, as mentioned previously in this newsletter
  

Office Hours/ Walk-Ins

• In the past, we have not offered walk-ins on Thursday mornings, and have opened the office at 9 AM on those days
• During this busy winter season of December and January, we have adjusted our hours as follows: we have added walk-in hours from 8:30-10 AM on Thursdays
  
• Thus, we will now offer walk-in hours starting at 8:30 AM every day Monday-Friday during December and January on a trial basis to see if this is helpful for you all -- our patients!!

Seasonal Flu Vaccine

• We anticipate getting our next shipment of this vaccine sometime this week, so we hope this will be available soon
• We will update this blog once it is available!!
  

Well Visits: A reminder

• Just as a reminder, the schedule for well-child visits, as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics is as follows
  
• infants: 1 month, 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 9 months, 12 months
• toddler: 15 months, 18 months, 2 yrs, 2.5 yrs, 3 yrs
• after age 3: once yearly every year through age 18 (this has changed from previous, and is different from what was formerly posted on our website!)