Update March 8
Unfortunately the H1N1 flu virus has made a come-back in Bexar County. Although we have not seen many cases of H1N1 flu at ABCD recently, we recommend an H1N1 flu vaccine for all patients aged six months and older, and every patient aged nine or younger should receive a second booster dose after 30 days. If your children have not received an H1N1 vaccine yet, or if your children still need the second booster, we encourage you to call our office to schedule this at your earliest convenience.
Update January 6
We are still scheduling second (booster) doses of seasonal flu vaccine to patients who need them. Children under three who were immunized for the first time should receive a booster dose.
We expect booster doses of the H1N1, which is recommended for all patients under nine years of age. When we have a booster dose for your child we will update the website and contact you via email.
There was a recent H1N1 Flu Mist recall, which did not effect any ABCD patient. The recall was not a result of any safety issue, and no further action is required.
Update December 18
If your child needs a second (booster) dose of seasonal flu vaccine, please call our appointment desk and order yours. Any child under the age of 3 years who was immunized for the first time should receive a booster dose.
We have now notified all patients who were affected by the H1N1 vaccine recall.
Update December 15
H1N1 Vaccine Recall Announced
The CDC announced today that it is recalling 800,000 pre-filled doses of the H1N1 vaccine. The recall is being done because the vaccine is slightly short of the minimal potency requirement; it is not a safety issue, and the vaccine is still safe. While this batch of vaccine still gives you protection against H1N1, it is not as potent as other batches. Re-vaccination is not currently recommended; however, all those who received this batch need to be sure and get the second (booster) dose four weeks after the original vaccination.
ABCD Pediatrics received 120 doses of the affected product (lot number UT028CB), which was given to our under 3 year-old patients at a flu clinic that was held on December 5. We are gathering a list of affected patients, and if your child received one of the doses being recalled, you will be notified.
The recommendation is that every child nine years of age or younger receive a second, booster, dose of H1N1 vaccine, especially those affected by this recall. Although we have no second doses available at this time, you will be notified when a dose becomes available for your child.
Update December 1
H1N1 Flu Vaccine Update: We are pleased to report that the number of cases of suspected H1N1 flu has decreased dramatically at the practice, from a high of 636 cases in September to 106 cases in November. We are also happy to report that we have been able to meet the demand of our H1N1 vaccine wait list. To our knowledge, all patients who wanted an H1N1 vaccine has either had it or is on the schedule to receive it in the next couple of weeks. We thank you for your patience and cooperation through this process. We have discontinued the wait list effective immediately. Moving forward, any parent who wants an H1N1 vaccine should call the ABCD Pediatrics scheduling desk; vaccine will be available in Stone Oak and in Schertz. Should there be enough vaccine to institute a second "booster" dose to those under 10 years of age, we will contact families individually.
Seasonal Flu Vaccine Update: Our supply of seasonal flu vaccine is almost gone. We still have a very limited supply of this vaccine on hand and available to anyone who wants it while supplies last. Call the scheduling desk at either office to schedule your appointment.
Update November 9
We continue to receive H1N1 vaccine in small quantities and we are following the recommended guidelines from the TX State Health Dept. We are still keeping our H1N1 vaccine wait list through the email appointments@abcdpediatrics.com. We appreciate your patience with this.
We are making our last big push on giving seasonal flu vaccine to whoever wants one. If you would like your children immunized against seasonal flu please call our appointment line as soon as possible to make your appointment. Our supplies of this vaccine are almost gone.
Update October 26
Our initial doses of H1N1 have begun to arrive at ABCD Pediatrics. The guidelines for who is to receive this vaccine have not changed, and we are following the direction of the Texas State Health Department. Because our H1N1 vaccine supply is arriving much slower than anticipated, it will take us through early 2010 to receive and administer it. Remember that the recommendation is for you to immunize your children against H1N1 even if they have already had the flu.
If you are interested in H1N1 vaccine for your children, please follow the directions below to place them on the wait list. You will be notified just as soon as we have product for them.
Update October 7, 2009
Announcing H1N1 (Swine Flu) vaccination procedures! ABCD Pediatrics has requested vaccine from the Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS) and is expecting initial shipments in mid-October. The vaccine will be shipping in small quantities for the remainder of the year and will be given to groups prioritized by the CDC and the TDSHS. Like the seasonal flu vaccine, there will be both a live virus nasal mist and an inactivated shot. Both products are effective though the mist can only be given to healthy children ages 2 and older.
We are now compiling wait lists for patients who wish to receive this vaccine. As vaccine arrives, we will contact patients to come to the office during "flu-clinics." This service is for established patients of ABCD Pediatrics only.
To be placed on the wait list for H1N1 vaccination, please follow the following procedures:
1) Send an email to appointments@abcdpediatrics.com. Include your child's name, date of birth, and tell us if they are considered high risk. Children are considered high risk if they have chronic lung problems (such as asthma), heart, lung, liver, blood, nervous system, muscular, or metabolic disorders. Other high risk conditions include those that cause immunosuppression.
2) In the subject line, please state H1N1
3) If you have more than one child, please inlcude the above information for each child in the same email.
4) You will be contacted via the same email address when the vaccine is available for your child.
5) Children under the age of 10 years old will require a second dose. You will be contacted via email when this dose is available.
Like the seasonal flu vaccine, if you have an opportunity to receive H1N1 vaccine elsewhere you are encouraged to do so.
Update September 25, 2009
For those parents who have found an alternative source for obtaining flu shots for your children, and who need a prescription from us:
Please call and leave a message on our prescription refill line, by pressing option eight (8) from the main menu, or emailing us at iflores@abcdpediatrics.com. We need our patient name and date of birth, and whether they have an allergy to eggs. The script will be prepared and signed by the doctor and ready for pick-up the following day. Please note requests left on Friday will be ready on Monday.
For those patients who wish to be placed on the WAIT LIST for seasonal flu vaccine, please email your request to appointments@abcdpediatrics.com, or call us through the appointment line. We will need our patient name and date of birth, as well as your email address for notification, and whether or not your child is considered at high risk with an underlying health problem like asthma.
Update September 24, 2009
Seasonal flu has not showed up in our area yet. The bulk of our injectible flu vaccine has not been released to us by the manufacturer. Our vaccine supplier explained that half of their resources were diverted to the H1N1 vaccine due to a governmental mandate. They cannot tell us when our seasonal flu shots will be shipped. The FluMist Nasal Spray supplier is now experiencing similar delays. We have therefore started a RECALL WAIT LIST for both seasonal flu shots and seasonal FluMist. To be placed on the wait list and notified when product is available, please call our appointment line. We will also update our website regularly to keep our patients informed. In the meantime we know that some of the larger pharmacies have flu shots available. If you can obtain seasonal flu shots for your children elsewhere, we encourage you to do so.
The Walgreens at Stone Oak Parkway and Huebner Road have shots available for children over the age of nine, on a walk-in basis, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
October 13: The HEB on Blanco Road would like us to notify our patients that they have run out of seasonal flu vaccine. The HEB on Blanco Road and 1604 has shots available for children over the age of eight years and over. Appointments are recommended as some of their pharmacists won't give the shots and some will. Call 408-1641 to make your appointment.
Our supply of VFC vaccine has arrived and it was very inadequate as usual. If your children have no health insurance coverage or are on a health plan that utilizes VFC vaccine, we recommend you contact the San Antonio Metro Health Clinic at 207-8894 for information on where you can obtain vaccinations for your children.
Novel H1N1 (Swine) flu is contagious and is spreading from person to person. We are currently seeing cases of suspected H1N1 flu. Fortunately the cases we are seeing are mild, and our patients are recovering with no complications. A separate vaccine against H1N1 should be available sometime in October, and we will post updates as we receive any information on this. We will develop our H1N1 vaccination plan as soon as we know how much vaccine we will receive.
Symptoms of H1N1 flu virus in people are similar to the symptoms of seasonal flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. A significant number of people have also reported diarrhea and vomiting.
If your child becomes ill and you think they may have the flu, it may not be necessary to be seen in our office. Treatment is recommended for children with underlying medical conditions that might make the flu more dangerous. Please note that if your child is under the age of one year, and they become ill or develop a fever, you should contact us for an appointment immediately.
If your otherwise healthy child has flu-like symptoms, please keep him/her at home for five days, or for 24 hours after symptoms resolve. The school systems have been asked by the Texas Health Department to be lenient with school excuses, but if you need a school note please contact our office and we will be happy to provide one, even if you were not seen at our office.
Like seasonal flu, complications can occur with H1N1. Seek emergency medical care if your child becomes ill and experiences any of the following warning signs: fast breathing, trouble breathing, bluish or gray skin color, not drinking enough fluids, not urinating as much as usual, severe or persistent vomiting, not waking up or interacting as usual, being so irritable that your child does not even want to be held, or if fever returns after being absent for a day, or a significant change in fever pattern occurs. For example, it was 101 degrees Fahrenheit for several days and now it is 103 degrees.
For the latest information on flu visit www.cdc.gov. From the home page, there is a link to seasonal flu and a link to H1N1 flu.