Newsletter

This Month's News

1) Flu Season and the Flu Vaccine
2) RSV Season and Synagis
3) Resurgence of Whooping Cough
4) Food Pyramid for Kids
5) Top Docs
6) Meet Joe Martin PA

FLU SEASON AND THE FLU VACCINE

The Flu Season can start anytime though it is generally well into winter before San Diego County is hit. Last year, Children's Hospital of San Diego actually reported zero instances of true flu by serology of patients. We're unlikely to be as lucky this year.

Criteria for our pediatric patients receiving the vaccine include:

• children aged 6--23 months
• children who have chronic disorders of the pulmonary or cardiovascular systems, including asthma
• children who have required regular medical follow-up or hospitalization during the preceding year because of chronic metabolic diseases (including diabetes mellitus, renal dysfunction, hemoglobinopathies, or immunosuppression)
• children who have any condition (e.g., cognitive dysfunction, spinal cord injuries, seizure disorders, or other neuromuscular disorders) that can compromise respiratory function or the handling of respiratory secretions or that can increase the risk for aspiration
• children and adolescents who are receiving long-term aspirin therapy

The vaccine comes in two forms: a thimerosal-free version licensed for children 6 months through age 35 months (though the first line priority is for children 6 months-2 years) and a trace thimerosal containing version for children over age 3 years old and who fit the criteria for receiving the vaccine. Please understand that although we want to have the thimerosal-free version available, we are limited by supplies available from our manufacturers and will do our best to offer it to the appropriate groups.

In the 1st year of receiving the Flu Vaccine, the child should get 2 doses a month apart. REMEMBER: Influenza vaccine should not be administered to persons known to have anaphylactic reaction to eggs or to other components of the influenza vaccine. If you have any concerns about egg allergy, please discuss the vaccine with your child's physician.

We expect the Flu Vaccine to be delivered and available to our patients within the next 10 days. We will notify you, via this Newsletter, as soon as the vaccine has arrived to our office.

For more complete information on the vaccine, adult recommendations and further info on thimerosal please click here

RSV SEASON AND SYNAGIS

Respiratory Syncitial Virus (RSV) is the cause of Bronchiolitis, the wheezing chest infection that plagues small children between November and April.

There is an immune prophylaxis as a monthly shot during the 'season' for young children with special problems. Please contact Sonya at El Camino Pediatrics (Direct Line: 753-5996) if your child is under age 2 years and was born prematurely before 32 weeks or was born between 32 and 35 weeks and has any two of the following: neurological disease, is in daycare, has school age siblings, has smokers in the household or has a congenital airway abnormality

Also qualified are children under age 2 years during RSV Season with hemodynamically significant heart disease (ask your prmiary doctor if you have any questions).

RESURGENCE OF WHOOPING COUGH

There has been a dramatic increase in Whooping Cough in older children in recent years. We always knew that Pertussis (Whooping Cough) immunization wore off over time.

Because of the resurgence of this disease, the government will soon reccommend boosters for your teens. We are still waiting final approval from the American Academy of Pediatrics. Once we have that, we will notify you when we have stock of this new vaccine.

Meanwhile, before then and even then, remember that a prolonged cough can mean Pertussis. Though fatalities in older kids are rare, the disease can make you very sick for a long period (easily months). Remember to mention this possibility to your own doctor too if your child has a prolonged cough.

It's back.

WWW.MYPYRAMID.GOV

The new guidelines for nutrition in children are different and can be reviewed at www.mypyramid.gov.

Also on this site are games for children to help learn and practice better nutrition.

HMMM!

In the October issue of San Diego Magazine there was an annual article (cover story) entitled "TOP DOCS." Though 4 of our 10 doctor (Drs. Nathanson, Frumin, Wood and Dockweiler) were voted this honor by our peers in the country, somehow we were all left out of the article.

They do say, in the article, that they may have ommitted some names. Oh well, thought you'd want to know.

MEET JOE MARTIN PA

El Camino Pediatrics has the pleasure of welcoming Joe Martin, Physician's Assistant to our staff.

Joe is Stanford trained and comes to us after working several years in Northern California. Look for Joe in the Satellite Clinic working under the supervision of Dr. Levy.