Hartsdale Pediatrics

Book of the week P Is for Pterodactyl: The Worst Alphabet Book Ever, by Raj Haldar, Chris Carpenter, and illustrator Maria Beddia is actually one of the greatest children’s books evuh! Many children get tired of spelling rulesP Is for Pterodactyl features words that break all the rules. You and your gleeful youngster will have a blast with this bizarrely educational book.

With school closings, social isolation and deeply stressed parents the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on children's mental health. CNN shares steps parents and guardians can take to help kids through this tough time.

Not Enough Adolescents Are Signing Up For Moderna’s COVID-19 Vaccine Trial, Federal Official Says USA Today (1/13) reports, Not enough adolescents are signing up for Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine trial, a federal official said this week, potentially delaying vaccine authorization for this age group. On Tuesday, Moncef Slaoui, the scientific head of Operation Warp Speed, the government’s vaccine effort, said...that while a vaccine trial in adults is accruing 800 volunteers per... day, the teen trial is getting only about 800 per month. AAP president Dr. Lee Savio Beers said that children and teens may not bear much of the burden of the infection, but they are ‘bearing a disproportionate burden of the overall pandemic impact,’ adding, We should not forget that. Dr. Yvonne Maldonado, chair of the committee on infectious diseases for the AAP, said it’s crucial to get vaccine data for children of all ages. Dr. Maldonado added, Many of us want to see kids vaccinated for their own safety of course, but also because it really reduces the chain of transmission. See more

A lot of styes 'popped up' last week. I think it has something to do with children going back to virtual school, staring at computer screens too long. I say we need to institute some 'eyelid hygiene' measures - a warm compress (not too hot) to the eyelids twice a day with a gentle two wipe massage at the end of the period to help keep the glands open and the tear fluids flowing! Children and teachers are doing a great job of keeping schools a safe place for everybody. Congratulations to schools and teachers.

How does a vaccine go from an idea into reality? This video, inspired by Schoolhouse Rock!'s iconic "I'm Just a Bill" cartoon, explains the steps through Phase ...3 clinical trialsand shows how a hypothetical vaccine for COVID-19 gets developed. Video created by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Follow them for even more essential COVID-19 information. Learn more: https://coronavirus.jhu.edu