Potomac Pediatrics -- major vent!

[Anonymous]

20:16 -- sounds like you are living proof that the "rules" are being followed rather arbitrarily over there. Technically, based on emails stating "limited supply" and who qualifies and when, neither your nanny nor any other care givers (i.e. you or DH) in your family was supposed to qualify for a shot until their next clinic, which is this Wednesday evening, 2 days from now. How is it that everyone except your 5 year old has shots from them already?

[Anonymous]

"As for their criteria with the vaccines, it is theirs to administer as best as they see medically fit. "

WTH? If this is the case then no private practice should be allowed to receive the vaccine. This is a public health issue not a commodity or market good. All private physcians should be bound to the same CDC guidelines not allowed to pick and choose criteria or distribute as they see fit. This is a very inefficient way to distribute the vaccine and a poor practice for dealing with a health crisis.

It isn't like doctor's offices are the only ones modifying the guidelines. When I was at the Arlington vaccine clinic a few weeks ago, they were vaccinating everyone - healthy parents of toddlers who asked if they could just get theirs since they were already there, husbands of women who were in their first trimester, etc. At least the practice OP is mentioning is following some of the guidelines, not all the clinics have been.

[Anonymous]

Because we went when they first started offering it - 6 weeks ago - before this "madness" kicked in. Because of the limited supply, they have been forced to start restricting its administration.

[Anonymous]

You should be glad your office even has it and is offering it at all. Most do not and you have to go get it through the county or city clinics.

[Anonymous]

""As for their criteria with the vaccines, it is theirs to administer as best as they see medically fit. "

WTH? If this is the case then no private practice should be allowed to receive the vaccine. This is a public health issue not a commodity or market good. All private physcians should be bound to the same CDC guidelines not allowed to pick and choose criteria or distribute as they see fit. This is a very inefficient way to distribute the vaccine and a poor practice for dealing with a health crisis.

It isn't like doctor's offices are the only ones modifying the guidelines. When I was at the Arlington vaccine clinic a few weeks ago, they were vaccinating everyone - healthy parents of toddlers who asked if they could just get theirs since they were already there, husbands of women who were in their first trimester, etc. At least the practice OP is mentioning is following some of the guidelines, not all the clinics have been. "

This bad is too! Its dangerous for the practice to exclude some children who are in the CDC high risk group but not on their list. This seems worse and more irresponsible than another clinic widening their distribution even though this is not good either. I wonder if Potomac Pediatrics could be held liable for malpractice if one of their patients who met the CDC guidelines but not their own guidelines was denied a vaccine and then later was hospitalized or died.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"As for their criteria with the vaccines, it is theirs to administer as best as they see medically fit. "

WTH? If this is the case then no private practice should be allowed to receive the vaccine. This is a public health issue not a commodity or market good. All private physcians should be bound to the same CDC guidelines not allowed to pick and choose criteria or distribute as they see fit. This is a very inefficient way to distribute the vaccine and a poor practice for dealing with a health crisis.

I'm not sure what the problem is with Potomac Pediatrics criteria. Can you tell me the issue?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:20:16 -- sounds like you are living proof that the "rules" are being followed rather arbitrarily over there. Technically, based on emails stating "limited supply" and who qualifies and when, neither your nanny nor any other care givers (i.e. you or DH) in your family was supposed to qualify for a shot until their next clinic, which is this Wednesday evening, 2 days from now. How is it that everyone except your 5 year old has shots from them already?

There is a FLU SHOT CLINIC run out of Potomac Pediatrics. They started offering the shot and the mist over a month ago.

[Anonymous]

"I'm not sure what the problem is with Potomac Pediatrics criteria. Can you tell me the issue? "

The CDC does not restrict the definition of high risk respiratory or asthmatics to a child that has had a documented wheezing or low pulse/ox in the office within 12 months. It includes children with a history of respiratory airway disorder or asthma. Parents of these children are encourage to keep on top of things and use the prescriptions (neb and inhalers) as often as needed so the children do not come in wheezing and struggling to breathe.

Some children may grow out of this around 6 years (we're hoping!) but many do not. If the child had never wheezed or needed the inhaler/neb over the past year and had been through several upper or lower respiratory infecions then it may be safe to take them off the high risk list. Taking a child off who has used the inhaler or neb in the past year is dangerous, wrong, and counter to the CDC's recommendations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"I'm not sure what the problem is with Potomac Pediatrics criteria. Can you tell me the issue? "

The CDC does not restrict the definition of high risk respiratory or asthmatics to a child that has had a documented wheezing or low pulse/ox in the office within 12 months. It includes children with a history of respiratory airway disorder or asthma. Parents of these children are encourage to keep on top of things and use the prescriptions (neb and inhalers) as often as needed so the children do not come in wheezing and struggling to breathe.

Some children may grow out of this around 6 years (we're hoping!) but many do not. If the child had never wheezed or needed the inhaler/neb over the past year and had been through several upper or lower respiratory infecions then it may be safe to take them off the high risk list. Taking a child off who has used the inhaler or neb in the past year is dangerous, wrong, and counter to the CDC's recommendations.

Perhaps they want to ensure the patients they see who have documented issues are given the shot before it runs out, then other high risk groups, then the rest of the patients. Anyone can say they have had breathing issues and wheezing. I still don't see the issue. Other clinics are not following the CDC suggestions to the letter either.

[Anonymous]

"Perhaps they want to ensure the patients they see who have documented issues are given the shot before it runs out, then other high risk groups, then the rest of the patients. Anyone can say they have had breathing issues and wheezing. I still don't see the issue. Other clinics are not following the CDC suggestions to the letter either. "

Albuterol and other medications for nebulizers and inhalers are not over the counter they are only acquired with a prescription. Someone can not just 'make up' that they have breathing issues on the fly. A child with serious breathing issues could easily be turned away and this was not the CDC's intent.

If the vaccine distributed to Potomac Pediatrics or any other clinic is not being distributed based on CDC guidelines then this is a serious problem for distribution. It would be better to stand in long lines and ensure that the true high risk groups were vaccinated then split up the distribution to private practices for convenience and not cover the target population.

From a public health standpoint there is a danger that people who need the vaccine will not get it if they have to stand in line several times only to find it it ran out or they are not covered at this particular place. Rather than splitting up the distribution points and creating the problems identified in this thread, more vaccine should be given to central distribution points with tight regulation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"Perhaps they want to ensure the patients they see who have documented issues are given the shot before it runs out, then other high risk groups, then the rest of the patients. Anyone can say they have had breathing issues and wheezing. I still don't see the issue. Other clinics are not following the CDC suggestions to the letter either. "

Albuterol and other medications for nebulizers and inhalers are not over the counter they are only acquired with a prescription. Someone can not just 'make up' that they have breathing issues on the fly. A child with serious breathing issues could easily be turned away and this was not the CDC's intent.

If the vaccine distributed to Potomac Pediatrics or any other clinic is not being distributed based on CDC guidelines then this is a serious problem for distribution. It would be better to stand in long lines and ensure that the true high risk groups were vaccinated then split up the distribution to private practices for convenience and not cover the target population.

From a public health standpoint there is a danger that people who need the vaccine will not get it if they have to stand in line several times only to find it it ran out or they are not covered at this particular place. Rather than splitting up the distribution points and creating the problems identified in this thread, more vaccine should be given to central distribution points with tight regulation.

Ok, I agree. But where does the OP say she has had to use albuterol, nebs or inhalers? She said that "she" feels strongly about her child's need. She didn't say anything about her child needing breathing treatments.

[Anonymous]

The latest note for the Wednesday clinic states they will only be vaccinating pregnant women and parents of children under the age of six months. There is no reference to the previous pediatric high risk groups. This makes no sense unless they are confident they have vaccinated all their high risk pediatric patients.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The latest note for the Wednesday clinic states they will only be vaccinating pregnant women and parents of children under the age of six months. There is no reference to the previous pediatric high risk groups. This makes no sense unless they are confident they have vaccinated all their high risk pediatric patients.

Other clinics have set target groups. Fairfax has done it twice. Why is it an issue if they are setting target groups?

[Anonymous]

"The latest note for the Wednesday clinic states they will only be vaccinating pregnant women and parents of children under the age of six months. There is no reference to the previous pediatric high risk groups. This makes no sense unless they are confident they have vaccinated all their high risk pediatric patients.


Other clinics have set target groups. Fairfax has done it twice. Why is it an issue if they are setting target groups?"

They are a pediatric group and are now not vaccinating high risk pediatric patients? Should patients try to take their high risk toddlers to their ob/gyn?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Perhaps they want to ensure the patients they see who have documented issues are given the shot before it runs out, then other high risk groups, then the rest of the patients. Anyone can say they have had breathing issues and wheezing. I still don't see the issue. Other clinics are not following the CDC suggestions to the letter either. "

Albuterol and other medications for nebulizers and inhalers are not over the counter they are only acquired with a prescription. Someone can not just 'make up' that they have breathing issues on the fly. A child with serious breathing issues could easily be turned away and this was not the CDC's intent.

If the vaccine distributed to Potomac Pediatrics or any other clinic is not being distributed based on CDC guidelines then this is a serious problem for distribution. It would be better to stand in long lines and ensure that the true high risk groups were vaccinated then split up the distribution to private practices for convenience and not cover the target population.

From a public health standpoint there is a danger that people who need the vaccine will not get it if they have to stand in line several times only to find it it ran out or they are not covered at this particular place. Rather than splitting up the distribution points and creating the problems identified in this thread, more vaccine should be given to central distribution points with tight regulation.

Ok, I agree. But where does the OP say she has had to use albuterol, nebs or inhalers? She said that "she" feels strongly about her child's need. She didn't say anything about her child needing breathing treatments.

OP here -- I didn't say because I really didn't want to get into the details. But yes, we have used it a lot in the past through infancy, but more recently it hasn't been needed since last spring. PP vaccinated their "highest risk" patients first, and those with recent (i.e. past 12 months') history of UPPER respiratory issues (for us last spring) didn't qualify on their list of high risk patients. And I took issue with that and lost.

And for the other poster talking about FIC offering "the vacine" for quite a few weeks, please keep in mind that a) they only had the H1N1 mist, and b) if you get the regular flu shot, you have to wait 28 days before you can get the mist. Even if I trusted the mist for my DD, timing is still an issue between shots.