Potomac Pediatrics -- major vent!

[Anonymous]

I posted earlier about asthmatics and didn't realize this was the OP's experience.

I am completely freaked out now! DC, within a year, had a serious lower respiratory infection. Potomac pediatrics almost sent us to the ER from their office. DC was on steroids for a week. We have been very vigilent in guarding against any respiratory infections. We do the neb at the first sign of any wheezing or coughing. We keep her home extra days if she has a cold and always make sure to get her the seasonal flu shot. I can't imagine that within 2 months she would no longer be at risk for H1N1, something that is almost virtually impossible to avoid without a vaccine unless I pull her out of preschool. I was under the impression that Potomac Pediatrics was a conservative practice but now maybe we need to find a practice that is better with high risk kids.

[Anonymous]

If they're only receiving a small percentage of the requested vaccine, they truly have to limit it to their highest risk. OP - I would have been thrilled if my ped turned us down as the high risk group is not some ultra cool club to belong to. In some cases, you REALLY don't want to belong. Unfortunately, we are in the high risk group and yes, did receive the vaccine. But again, I'd trade it for the upper resp issue anytime....

[Anonymous]

"If they're only receiving a small percentage of the requested vaccine, they truly have to limit it to their highest risk. OP - I would have been thrilled if my ped turned us down as the high risk group is not some ultra cool club to belong to. In some cases, you REALLY don't want to belong. Unfortunately, we are in the high risk group and yes, did receive the vaccine. But again, I'd trade it for the upper resp issue anytime.... "

As a high risk mama whose child did qualify and did have a serous illness this year, I find this post inappropriate. It is not about being in a cool group from either perspective and it doesn't sound as if the OP should have been excluded. I hope my child can avoid another serious illness but if we avoid pneumonia it doesn't change the risk profile. I posted earlier that DC's most serious instance was about 10 months ago though we have continued to need the neb for several other colds. If their next shipment for the second dose doesn't arrive for two months I wonder if we will no longer qualify even though we did for the first shot. I hope the DC clinic do not shut down before the 2nd dose is possible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"If they're only receiving a small percentage of the requested vaccine, they truly have to limit it to their highest risk. OP - I would have been thrilled if my ped turned us down as the high risk group is not some ultra cool club to belong to. In some cases, you REALLY don't want to belong. Unfortunately, we are in the high risk group and yes, did receive the vaccine. But again, I'd trade it for the upper resp issue anytime.... "

As a high risk mama whose child did qualify and did have a serous illness this year, I find this post inappropriate. It is not about being in a cool group from either perspective and it doesn't sound as if the OP should have been excluded. I hope my child can avoid another serious illness but if we avoid pneumonia it doesn't change the risk profile. I posted earlier that DC's most serious instance was about 10 months ago though we have continued to need the neb for several other colds. If their next shipment for the second dose doesn't arrive for two months I wonder if we will no longer qualify even though we did for the first shot. I hope the DC clinic do not shut down before the 2nd dose is possible.

What is stopping you from going to Fairfax, Moco or a DC clinic?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"If they're only receiving a small percentage of the requested vaccine, they truly have to limit it to their highest risk. OP - I would have been thrilled if my ped turned us down as the high risk group is not some ultra cool club to belong to. In some cases, you REALLY don't want to belong. Unfortunately, we are in the high risk group and yes, did receive the vaccine. But again, I'd trade it for the upper resp issue anytime.... "

As a high risk mama whose child did qualify and did have a serous illness this year, I find this post inappropriate. It is not about being in a cool group from either perspective and it doesn't sound as if the OP should have been excluded. I hope my child can avoid another serious illness but if we avoid pneumonia it doesn't change the risk profile. I posted earlier that DC's most serious instance was about 10 months ago though we have continued to need the neb for several other colds. If their next shipment for the second dose doesn't arrive for two months I wonder if we will no longer qualify even though we did for the first shot. I hope the DC clinic do not shut down before the 2nd dose is possible.

Goodness, Bill Frist is on this board! Diagnosing conditions based on anonymous internet postings is even more ridiculous than his diagnosis of Terri Schiavo based on videotapes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"If they're only receiving a small percentage of the requested vaccine, they truly have to limit it to their highest risk. OP - I would have been thrilled if my ped turned us down as the high risk group is not some ultra cool club to belong to. In some cases, you REALLY don't want to belong. Unfortunately, we are in the high risk group and yes, did receive the vaccine. But again, I'd trade it for the upper resp issue anytime.... "

As a high risk mama whose child did qualify and did have a serous illness this year, I find this post inappropriate. It is not about being in a cool group from either perspective and it doesn't sound as if the OP should have been excluded. I hope my child can avoid another serious illness but if we avoid pneumonia it doesn't change the risk profile. I posted earlier that DC's most serious instance was about 10 months ago though we have continued to need the neb for several other colds. If their next shipment for the second dose doesn't arrive for two months I wonder if we will no longer qualify even though we did for the first shot. I hope the DC clinic do not shut down before the 2nd dose is possible.

Goodness, Bill Frist is on this board! Diagnosing conditions based on anonymous internet postings is even more ridiculous than his diagnosis of Terri Schiavo based on videotapes.

LOL! Who has a child that HAS NOT had a respiratory issue at some point or another?

[Anonymous]

OP, please don't take this wrong, but if your seasonal was a shot (not mist), there is no waiting period to get either the mist or the shot for h1n1, and vice versa. The waiting period comes with seasonal mist and seasonal h1n1.

[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.

By all means then, please call Potomac Pediatrics and every other clinic not distributing shots the way you deem they should be given out and tell them what policies they need to change. The CDC recommendations are just that - RECOMMENDATIONS.

[Anonymous]

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.

OP -- in case it matters, that's not accurate. You have to wait 28 days between any two mists, and you have to wait 28 (some say 21+) days between doses one and two of the H1N1 vaccine (mist OR shot).

If you got the seasonal flu *shot,* you could have the H1N1 mist the same day if you wanted -- no waiting period.

[Anonymous]

This is a taxpayer funded vaccine distributed by the CDC. Potomac Pediatrics or any other practice should not have the ability to treat the distribution of the vaccine within their sole discretion. The argument that other practices are being arbitrary or not following the CDC guidelines is not a valid support position to allow more to do so.

The distribution of this vaccine has had many problems. The provision to private companies (wall street execs) and Gitmo is the most embarrassing failure within the CDC. The failure to tightly regulate clinincs and private practices is another. This still though does not it make it right for these private distribution centers to be discretionary.

On another thread you hear about non-priority adults receiving the vaccine in Fairfax private practices while other practices treating high risk patients may be out of the vaccine. Within DC, the practice of shutting down the public clinics and distributing the vaccines more out to private practices creates the same issue where someone in a CDC high risk group may be denied the vaccine based on that individual practice's policy but not have reasonable options to acquire the vaccine as it had been locked up in the private practices.

A private practice also has a responsibility to own patients. If a private practice refuses vaccination to a patient who is in the high risk group as defined by the CDC and that patient later has a poor outcome then they could be liable for damages. A private practice distributing the vaccine with its own doctors and nursing staff carries a different level of liability than a public clinic with which you have no established medical records, relationship or pre-existing knowledge of medical history.

OP I would have demanded a written piece of documentation that you were being refused the vaccination for your records. In lieue of that you should write down specifics of your encounter, the time, and the name of the doctors or nurses with whom you spoke. Hopefully your child will be fine but if not take legal action.

Your other options include writing a letter to the CDC and the state medical board. Private practices must apply to receive distribution. The more documented complaints that come forward regarding distribution practices the more likely greater precautions will be taken in the future.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is a taxpayer funded vaccine distributed by the CDC. Potomac Pediatrics or any other practice should not have the ability to treat the distribution of the vaccine within their sole discretion. The argument that other practices are being arbitrary or not following the CDC guidelines is not a valid support position to allow more to do so.

The distribution of this vaccine has had many problems. The provision to private companies (wall street execs) and Gitmo is the most embarrassing failure within the CDC. The failure to tightly regulate clinincs and private practices is another. This still though does not it make it right for these private distribution centers to be discretionary.

On another thread you hear about non-priority adults receiving the vaccine in Fairfax private practices while other practices treating high risk patients may be out of the vaccine. Within DC, the practice of shutting down the public clinics and distributing the vaccines more out to private practices creates the same issue where someone in a CDC high risk group may be denied the vaccine based on that individual practice's policy but not have reasonable options to acquire the vaccine as it had been locked up in the private practices.

A private practice also has a responsibility to own patients. If a private practice refuses vaccination to a patient who is in the high risk group as defined by the CDC and that patient later has a poor outcome then they could be liable for damages. A private practice distributing the vaccine with its own doctors and nursing staff carries a different level of liability than a public clinic with which you have no established medical records, relationship or pre-existing knowledge of medical history.

OP I would have demanded a written piece of documentation that you were being refused the vaccination for your records. In lieue of that you should write down specifics of your encounter, the time, and the name of the doctors or nurses with whom you spoke. Hopefully your child will be fine but if not take legal action.

Your other options include writing a letter to the CDC and the state medical board. Private practices must apply to receive distribution. The more documented complaints that come forward regarding distribution practices the more likely greater precautions will be taken in the future.

This is ridiculous. The CDC posted recommendations, it didn't pass the expectations of who should be vaccinated into law. There are no penalties for not following to the letter. Please, give me a break, OP was free to take her child anywhere to get the shot, she did not have to wait until Potomac Pediatrics finally received a shipment, which cost $20 to receive as the admin fee. OP could have gone to Fairfax three different times and gotten the shot for free if it were that important and a priority.

[Anonymous]

Good lord . . . can you imagine what it must be like to be a doctor these days?? Parents think that by doing a few google searches on the internet they are more qualified to diagnose and treat their children then a trained professional. OP - if you aren't getting the best care for your child, go to a different practice. Just be advised that more and more doctors are actually adopting policies of refusing to treat patients that insist on questioning their diagnoses based off internet searches . . . if you want to be treated by an online doctor, then do it.

[Anonymous]

YO OP!

Potomac Pediatrics has received more of its H1N1 flu vaccine allocation. This allocation is separate from FIC Providers, LLC (the company that supplies seasonal flu vaccine in our office) and will only be offered to Potomac Pediatrics patients and their families.

We will be vaccinating children aged 6 months – 60 months on a first come first serve basis on Saturday, November 14th from 11am to 1pm. Please do not line up prior to 10:30 am.
To expedite the process, we ask that you pay with check or cash only. The cost of the vaccine administration is $20.
We will have vaccine that contains thimerisol (a preservative) as well as a small number of thimerisol-free vaccine. The physicians at Potomac Pediatrics believe that both vaccines are safe for all age groups.

If your child has an egg allergy that requires the vaccine to be administered at the allergist’s office, please call our office so that we can make those arrangements