Island Pediatric Associates

This morning the FDA and CDC released a joint statement recommending a pause in the administration of the J&J Covid-19 Vaccine due to 6 cases of rare blood clots The cases have been reported in 6 women ages 18-48 years of age with symptoms starting 6-13 days after being vaccinated. This type of clot is a cerebral venous sinus thrombosis or CVST and is in combination with low platelets. We DO NOT yet know if there is a causal relationship between the vaccine and CVST. There ar...e about 5 cases of CVST per million people per year every year before the vaccine. Over 6.8 million doses of the J&J vaccine have been given in the US, so the rate of CVST is less than 1 per million doses The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) will meet today to review all the information. If you or someone you know received the J&J vaccine and experience severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath within 3 weeks of getting vaccinated, seek medical help.

Ramadan Mubarak to all who celebrate! This evening at sundown we celebrate the beginning of Ramadan, a holy month of fasting, giving, and prayer. Ramadan is celebrated to observe one’s own mental and emotional process by fasting (swam) and giving (zakat) which are two of the five pillars of faith in the Muslim religion. During Ramadan those who celebrate abstain from food and drink during daylight hours and donate a zakat, equalling a days worth of food or money to the poor. Ramadan is celebrated around the world by millions of people and is important as it allows those to devote themselves to their faith. Click here https://armagazine.com/2RbhTQN for Ramadan recipes and to plan your Eid-al-Fitr feast!

With the holidays approaching, focusing on your families strength, love, and kindness is important. Thank you, Beech Acres Parenting Center for sharing the Family Engagement Challenge!

A new baby is such an exciting time for a family, but it can be overwhelming for parents, siblings and grandparents. There is just so much to learn! As always, the pediatricians at Allied Physicians Group have your back and are virtually hosting, "Baby Basics: Everything you need to know about your newborn!" Date: November 10, 2020 Time: 7:00 PM/EST Registration link: https://bit.ly/3kXogkH... Speakers: Dr. Kerry Fierstein, Pediatrician Dr. Teresa Lemma, Pediatrician Dr. Adina Geller, Pediatrician Dr. Eric Levene, Pediatrician Topics: Feeding Swaddling Grooming Sleep and SIDS Vaccines Should I worry? COVID and newborns Self-Care and MORE! This virtual event is open to everyone, so please share with family and friends!

With many different types of face coverings available, this article shows how cloth and N95 masks work to protect against the coronavirus. Click here, https://nyti.ms/325AwbA for a journey through to see how wearing a face mask shields you from the virus.

Happy Halloween!

Rain or shine, visit with an Allied Physicians Group pediatrician from the comfort of your home. Download the Anytime Pediatrics app to get started! After-hour visits are available 7 nights a week from 6:30pm to 10:30pm. For non-Allied families, please visit https://bit.ly/2Y19JZr to download the Anytime Pediatrics app or call 833-269-2444 and enter practice code 2444. If you are a current patient, please enter your office practice code, which you can find here: http://bit.ly/2RO0cTQ

Dear Allied Families, Covid-19 has changed how we live. We track positivity rates like we used to track the stock market. We desperately want our children to be able to go to school safely. While different families have different risk tolerance, everyone wants to stay healthy and keep our families safe. Hopefully everyone is willing to do what it takes. Though we have had more than enough of 2020 and Covid-19, we cannot go back to our regular lives yet. Every event, every... contact increases risk to the individual and risk to society. Seeing other children at school is a risk that is worthwhile and makes it all the more important to limit other exposures, even if the extra-curricular exposure is to another child in the classroom. We cannot let our children do everything they used to do, especially as colder weather forces us indoors. Instead of enrolling your child in multiple activities this year, concentrate on one activity and limit exposures. Wear masks during carpools. Instead of throwing a group birthday party, teach your child about being a good friend and a responsible citizen and keep celebrations small. Please don’t let testing lull you into a false sense of security. Testing is a snapshot in time, and a blurry one at that. Testing for Covid beforehand does not protect the group. Remember to isolate after testing and before you get results. This way if you are positive you have not spread the illness to your friends and family. If you are exposed, there is no test that can get you out of a 14-day quarantine. If you test positive, you need to isolate for a minimum of 10 days and 3 days of no fever. Isolation involves separation from the rest of the family (as best as possible.) If you are exposing family members during that time, you are putting them at risk and extending their quarantine. Take home message: Wear masks and stay at least six feet apart. Keep gatherings small, including Birthdays, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Hanukkah. Outdoors is better than indoors. It is important we all do everything we can to keep Covid from spreading. This is the best way to keep our schools open and our families safe. As always should you have questions or concern contact your trusted Allied pediatrician.

Some great information and tips for parents regarding over-the-counter medications including, dosage information and ingredients to look for! Click here, https://bit.ly/2J8SD9R for the top four tips and information.

To close out National Healthcare Quality Week 2020, Allied Physicians Group celebrates our patient families who inspire us daily. Your family deserves the highest quality healthcare and it is our honor to give it to you. #HQW2020 #trustedpediatricians

Tune in for trusted pediatric advice from our favorite CEO/Pediatrician/Mom/Grandma! In the newest episode of Baby Basics, Dr. Kerry Fierstein walks us through four-month-old milestones. She covers how your baby is moving, what is exciting and entertaining to them, and what you can look forward to at your four-month check-up! For more trusted pediatric advice check out our youtube channel- https://bit.ly/2ITnsz3, or our baby basics page- https://bit.ly/3eW3H4W. https://bit.ly/2Hp568N

Halloween may look a little different this year with COVID-19 being a risk. There are many questions and concerns from parents surrounding the holiday and are wondering if trick or treating is still safe. Dr. Janice Montague from Tuxedo Pediatrics answers parent's concerns in her new blog, "Halloween During COVID-19".

Be proactive, not reactive when it comes to your child's asthma. Remember, CONTROL IS THE GOAL! Asthma Educator, Michelle Wruck, explains just what ACE is and how Allied can help! Learn more about our ACE program or schedule a visit at, https://bit.ly/315qjLJ.

Dr. Richard Clare is seeing adults, adolescents, and children at our office! We are thrilled to have him as part of the Island family. Please join us in giving him a warm welcome, and schedule an appointment for yourself or your children here, https://schedule.solutionreach.com//subscr/41514/scheduler.

International Day of the Girl is celebrated world-wide today in honor of women empowerment. Celebrate today by empowering girls and women of all ages! Click here, https://uni.cf/2F2pgnQ for ways you can celebrate!