Wikipedia: At or in this place: Stop here for a rest. →

This decision was made with much thought and careful consideration, and is based on our knowlege of the safety of vaccines and the danger to our patients and our community of a Measles outbreak.  Our goal is to protect our patients to the best of our ability.  Vaccines, and especially the MMR, are an important part of this effort.

For more details on this policy and the reasons why we felt it was necessary, please click here for a Survivor: Pediatrics post about it.  As always, we welcome your feedback – if you have any questions about this, please bring them up with your doctor.

The CDC also published this report, which reports that this particular strain of the Coxsackievirus (CVA6) has an unusual pattern of illness, and has affected all ages (24% of the cases were adults).   They also reported that this virus had previously not been reported in the U.S., but had been reported in outbreaks in Japan, Singapore, Finland and Taiwan.  Another reminder that viruses don’t need a passport – these illnesses are just a plane ride away.

April 1, 2012 – We’re sad to announce that one of our most beloved providers, Dr. Erin Heath, will be leaving Tamalpais Pediatrics at the end of the month.  Dr. Heath has accepted what she calls her “dream job”  – Executive Pediatrician and Personal International Adoption Consultant to Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie.  We’ll miss her dearly, but wish her luck in her new job!  (And hope we get to see her on the red carpet, or occasional episodes of Entertainment Tonight and Dr. Oz.

Kathy Morgan, PNP is also changing her schedule.  Kathy will be cutting back her hours here, and will be working on Mondays in Greenbrae and Wednesdays in Novato.  To make space for Kathy’s new day in Novato, Crystal Cox, PA will be moving to Thursdays instead of Wednesdays.  Take a look at the Doctor’s Schedules box here for details.

Kathy will also be working in the Well Baby Nursery at UCSF in addition to continuing with us two days a week.  We are all excited for Kathy and wish her well in her new job (even though we’re sorry she won’t be with us every day anymore).  I guess this is our chance to show our patients how to share!

We also want to make sure everyone can find the Flu Vaccine Information Pages, where you can find information about this year’s flu vaccine and other interesting flu facts.  Click here to view.

Mumps is a viral illness that causes fever, swelling of the parotid gland (the salivary gland in the cheek) and headache and sore throat.  It can also affect the brain and central nervous system, causing encphalitis and deafness, and in boys it can cause swelling of the testicles and sterility .  In Japan, where children do not routinely get immunized against Mumps, the rate of permanent deafness among children is now 1 in 1000.

Children are vaccinated against Mumps using the MMR vaccine at age 12 to 15 months, and again at age 4 to 6 years.  We routinely give this vaccine at 15 months and 4 years of age in our practice.  If you child has not received an MMR and is over 15 months of age, or if they have not had their booster dose and they are over 4 years of age – please call our office for a visit to get this very important vaccine ASAP.

Another group of children who should get MMR are infants 6 months of age and older who are travelling outside the US.  Check out this CDC Measles Update to learn why.

The After Hours Clinic will be open weekend/holiday hours on both of those days, from 9:30AM to 9:30PM.  Information on how reach the After Hours Advice Nurse and make an appointment in the After Hours Clinic is available here.

All of us at Tamalpais Pediatrics wish you and your families and happy and relaxing holiday season.   Here’s to a healthy 2012!

Click here for a HealthyChildren.org page on preventing food-borne illness.

Needless to say, this is not something that we think is a good idea.  Our friends at Pedsource have posted an article that very nicely sums up why.  Click here to read it.

For those who are “on the fence” about Varicella (Chicken Pox) vaccine, here are the top three reasons to get the shot rather than take your chances with the disease: 1. Chicken Pox disease is unpredictable.  It’s usually just miserable rather than deadly, but before the vaccine was widespread, 100 or more kids per year would die from Chicken Pox complications in the US.  The vaccine is safe, and 97% effective at preventing severe disease and death. 2. Chicken Pox disease can have serious complications, such as pneumonia, dehydration and skin infection.  That was bad enough in the “old days,” but now with resistant bacteria such as MRSA (Methicillin Resistant Staph Aureus), it is much more dangerous. 3. Shingles is more likely in a child who has had Chicken Pox rather than vaccine.  This has been well studied, and disproves the myth that “natural” Chicken Pox is somehow better than the vaccine.  It just isn’t true.

At Tamalpais Pediatrics, we usually give the Chicken Pox vaccine at 15 months and age 4.  If your child isn’t up to date, call for an appointment….and keep them away from mailboxes until this Chicken Pox Lollipop fad is over.

We also want to make sure everyone can find the Flu Vaccine Information Pages, where you can find information about this year’s flu vaccine and other interesting flu facts.  Click here to view.

Spend some time looking around – there are many other interesting posts on this site, including Dr. Jenn Gruen’s post called “Fall Colds, What to Do and When to Take Your Child to the Pediatrician,” Dr. Wendy Sue Swanson’s “Baby Proofing Your House” video, and Dr. Joanna Betancourt’s post on “Making Healthy Food Choices for Your Children.“

We also want to make sure everyone can find the Flu Vaccine Information Pages, where you can find information about this year’s flu vaccine and other interesting flu facts.  Click here to view.

Students living in the dorms at UC Berkeley have been encouraged to get a third dose of MMR vaccine to decrease their risk of getting Mumps.  Others in the UC Berkeley community may also get an extra dose to decrease their risk of the disease.  Here in Marin, an extra dose is not recommended.

We are hopeful that there won’t be an outbreak of Mumps here.  If that were to happen, we will get recommendations from our colleagues at the Marin County Department of Public Health as well as local infectious disease experts, and will do whatever is necessary to protect our patients and the community.

If you child has not had the recommended doses of MMR (one at 12-18 months, and one at 4-6 years of age), please call to schedule a vaccine visit ASAP.

Another interesting thing about the study published last week, though, is to compare how the media is likely to cover it with how doctors will look at it.  While you’re likely to have seen lots of articles and TV news segments about widespread refusal of all sorts of vaccines, the reality is that the study shows we are doing OK with vaccine rates in the US.  Of course, we could always do better but take a look at Dr. Ari Brown’s analysis of this study here to see why the news is not all bad.  And then come on in for that flu shot!