LATEST NEWS & UPDATES

January 2013

SEASONAL FLU VACCINE AVAILABLE BY APPOINTMENT
We strongly recommend the seasonal flu vaccine for all children 6 months and older. This is available as a shot for any child 6 months and older. We have finished our supply of the nasal spray option, and do not anticipate receiving any further doses. Please call to schedule an appointment with our nursing staff in order to receive the vaccine. Flu clinics will also be offered on Thursdays with appointments available until 7pm to provide additional availability. This vaccine can also be given at regularly scheduled appointments with your provider. Given high demand, we are intermittently running out of doses. We are working with the state to minimize this occurrence.

The flu vaccine is recommended this fall and winter for ALL patients ages 6 months to 18 years. 2 doses are recommended for some children under the age of 9 years old. Our staff and providers can help determine if 1 or 2 flu vaccines will be needed for your child this season.

ANNOUNCING DR. MAGGIE BEVILACQUA AND DR. AKANE TANAKA
We are excited to announce that Dr. Maggie Bevilacqua joined Richmond Pediatrics in August 2012. Dr. Bevilacqua was born and raised in North Carolina and completed her undergraduate degree at the University of North Carolina. She spent two years teaching middle school in Atlanta through Teach For America. She returned to UNC for medical school before moving across the country to complete her pediatrics residency at Seattle Children’s Hospital. Dr. Bevilacqua enjoys the diversity of general pediatrics and loves taking care of children of all ages. She will have admitting privileges at Swedish First Hill, Swedish Ballard, Swedish Edmonds, UW Northwest as well as Seattle Children’s Hospital. Please help us in welcoming Dr. Bevilacqua to our community.

We are also very pleased that Dr. Akane Tanaka has joined Richmond Pediatrics as a regular doctor. Many of you have likely met Dr. Tanaka already, as she has been working for us to help with coverage on an intermittent basis for over a year. We are delighted that she will now be a regular presence at Richmond Pediatrics. She is open to new patients, and will have admitting privileges to Swedish First Hill, Swedish Edmonds, UW Northwest, as well as Seattle Children's Hospital in the near future.

PERTUSSIS (WHOOPING COUGH) INFORMATION
The Pertussis (Whooping Cough) epidemic continues to increase quickly in our state, and the number of reported cases is higher than the previous six decades. It is expected that this epidemic will continue for several months.

Pertussis is a highly contagious respiratory illness spread by coughing and sneezing. It affects people of all ages - but is most serious in infants, especially those too young to get vaccinated or who aren't fully protected. It causes cold-like symptoms followed by a long, severe cough that can last for weeks. Adolescents and adults often get a much milder case of whooping cough, but they can still spread it.

Pertussis vaccines are recommended for all children and adults. It is recommended for children to receive the DTaP vaccine at 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 12-18 months, and 4-6 years. These shots children get wear off over time. Everyone age 11 and older should get a whooping cough booster, called Tdap. It's especially important for anyone who has close contact with babies younger than 12 months to get a dose of Tdap to help protect the baby from whooping cough. This includes parents, siblings, grandparents, health care providers, and child care providers. We are able to immunize patients up to 19 years of age at our clinic.

For additional information, consider the Washington Department of Health site about Pertussis, or ask any of our physicians.

NEW RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CHILD CAR SEATS AS OF 2011
(1) Rear-facing car safety seats for most infants/toddlers up to 2 years of age,
(2) Forward-facing car safety seats for most children through 4 years of age,
(3) Belt-positioning booster seats until the vehicle seat belt fits properly, typically when they have reached 4 feet 9 inches in height and are between 8 and 12 years of age.
(4) Lap-and-shoulder seat belts for all who have outgrown booster seats.
(5) All children younger than 13 years should ride in the rear seats of vehicles.
Please remember that every transition means less protection; therefore delay transitions for as long as possible as allowed by car seat provisions and child's height / weight.
Click here for information about where to go for a car seat safety check.
Click here for more information about car seats guidelines.

February 2012

WALK IN HOURS CANCELLED
Due to difficulty with staffing the walk-in hours on Monday, we will no longer be offering appointments from 8:30-9 am on Mondays. We will still have morning availability with all of our providers, but this will be done as scheduled appointments. Please call to schedule.

JULY 2011

2011 SCHOOL AND CHILD CARE IMMUNIZATION EXEMPTION LAW
Washington state law requires that children must be immunized against certain vaccine-preventable diseases before attending a licensed childcare or school. Parents and guardians meet this requirement by filling out and turning in a Certificate of Immunization Status form, showing their child has the required vaccinations. Effective July 22, 2011, the new law changes what guardians must do to exempt their child from one or more of the required vaccines.

1) What is different?
If parents or guardians want to exempt their child from immunization requirements, they must first get information about the benefits and risks of vaccinations from a licensed health care provider. The provider will sign the Certificate of Exemption form that parents have to turn in to the school or childcare to exempt their child. Instead of using the form, providers may choose to write and sign a letter verifying the same information. The health care provider signature is not required for parents or guardians who demonstrate membership in a church or religious body that does not believe in medical treatment. The law takes effect July 22, 2011, and applies only to exemptions that parents or guardians claim on or after this date.

2) How can Richmond Pediatrics help?
We are eager to help our families with this process as much as possible. Please collect and review any outside immunization records for your child and let us know how you would like us to help. As long as your child is up to date on well child visits and you have discussed immunizations with your provider in the past year, we will provide the required forms to you free of charge. Please bear with us that we are handling a flood of incoming forms.
If your child is due for a well child visit or has not been seen at our clinic for a long time please schedule a visit at your convenience to discuss immunizations, review growth, health and development, or discuss any concerns you might have with one of our doctors.
Please allow for 5 business days for a nurse to review and process requested immunization certificate. Please allow 10 business days for your doctor to review requests for exemption signatures. We appreciate your patience and understanding in dealing with these new regulations.

3) Why was the law changed?
The new law makes sure exemptions are based on conviction, not convenience since Washington has one of the highest school exemption rates in the nation. Diseases spread quickly in schools and child care centers so that recently we have had outbreaks of whooping cough, measles, and swine flu. Unimmunized children are more likely to get and spread a disease vaccines can prevent. Immunizations save lives especially for Infants and medically fragile children. During an outbreak, the children with exemptions must be sent home until the outbreak is over or until they get vaccinated. Having fewer convenience-based exemptions will keep our communities healthier reduce the burden on our schools.

4) What does “conditional” status mean for school or childcare attendance?
Children are in “conditional” status if they do not have one or more required vaccines on their first day of school attendance or, in some cases, after they’ve begun school or child care. Children in “conditional status” can attend school or childcare for a limited time. From the time parents/guardian are notified they have 30 days to:
• Get the child vaccinated.
• Show a record of past vaccination.
• Exempt their child for the missing vaccine.
Some kids may not have immunizations part of a series with intervals between doses. In these cases, the child will remain in conditional status as long as necessary to complete the series according to recommended guidelines. In all other cases, if a parent does not take action within 30 days, the child must be excluded from school or childcare.

5) Will parents have to redo an exemption from previous years?
An exemption form on file at a school or licensed child care that was turned in before July 22, 2011 is still valid for the exemptions indicated on that form. But, as kids progress through school, different vaccinations are needed to meet age- appropriate immunization requirements, and at that time a new exemption form will have to be turned in.?

6) Where can I find out more details?
Please refer to http://www.doh.wa.gov/cfh/Immunize/schools/exemption-info.htm