St. Teresa Pediatrics

COVID vaccine is finally available in office at St. Teresa Pediatrics!

The COVID vaccine is available for children 6 months and up as well as for insured parents who would like to receive theirs here.

Please talk to your child’s doctor about when your child should receive this vaccination.

For more information about COVID vaccination and booster timing, visit the CDC website.

Flu season is upon us.

Our flu vaccines are here! We recommend flu vaccination for all children 6 months old and up.

Flu vaccine is available for patients with VFC patients-Medicaid, CHIP, and self-pay.

Please call our office to schedule an appointment at 314-500-5437

Message from Dr. Abraham:

Please do not have water beads anywhere near young children. It looks like candy and if swallowed, can cause intestinal blockage which may be deadly.

'Nobody Should Lose Their Child Over a Toy' - Consumer Reports Water beads can be deadly to children and are sending thousands to the ER each year. Experts say they shouldn’t be in homes with young kids.

It's that time of year again! Flu season is upon us.

Our flu vaccines are here! We recommend flu vaccination for all children 6 months old and up.

Flu vaccine is available for patients with commerical insurance.

We are still waiting on the state of Missouri to send us flu vaccine for the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program for Medicaid and uninsured patients.

Please call 314-500-5437 to make an appointment

Preventing tick bites on people | CDC How to prevent tick bites and tickborne disease.

"Tick exposure can occur year-round, but ticks are most active during warmer months (April-September). " Protect yourself and your family.

Things you can do:

1. Know the type of ticks in your area.
2. Know where to expect them.
3. Treat your clothing and gear
4. "Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (OLE), para-menthane-diol (PMD), or 2-undecanone"

Preventing tick bites on people | CDC How to prevent tick bites and tickborne disease.

Organic Strawberries Hepatitis A Outbreak | CDC CDC recommends that people who purchased recalled frozen organic strawberries should not eat, serve, or sell these recalled frozen organic strawberries.

You may have heard about a current Hepatitis A outbreak.

Please note that we vaccinate at 12 months and 18 months against Hepatitis A but it can be transmitted through food,

Please refer to the CDC website for additional information:

Organic Strawberries Hepatitis A Outbreak | CDC CDC recommends that people who purchased recalled frozen organic strawberries should not eat, serve, or sell these recalled frozen organic strawberries.

Dr. Mark Herbers MD

It is a joy for him to be with kids every day, from newborns to adolescents. Every age has new and different wonders and challenges. He loves accompanying parents on the journey as we care for their children.

Outside of work, Dr. Herbers likes to spend time with family and friends. He enjoys learning about almost anything, especially God and nature. For fun, he hikes in the woods, birdwatches, and sings in his church choir. He especially likes traveling to foreign countries and being immersed in cultures completely different than our own.

Dr. Mark Herbers is a board-certified pediatrician who has been in practice for many years. He is a native St. Louisan who went to Medical School at Mizzou. He then did his residency at Dallas Children’s Medical Center, before returning home to go into practice. He has been on the faculty of Washington University School of Medicine and St. Louis University School of Medicine as an Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, as well as being in private practice.

It is a joy for him to be with kids every day, from newborns to adolescents. Every age has new and different wonders and challenges. He loves accompanying parents on the journey as we care for their children.

Need a physical this summer for your child? Schedules are already booking--call for your appointment! 314-500-5437. Existing patients may use our online portal to make an appointment!

🌞Be sun smart!🌞
1. Play inside between 10am-4pm. If you have to go outside, stay in the shade. Enjoy the outdoors before and after this time window.
2. Wear a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, and clothing to cover your skin.
3. Wear sunscreen with a minimum SPF 30. Reapply!
Enjoy the summer and stay healthy!

DSS Press Release | Medicaid eligibility annual renewals to resume April 1 with federal legislation signed into law Missouri Department of Social Services

Happy Friday!! Nurse Vicki here with an important announcement!

Annual renewal for anyone who receives health services through MoHealthNet (Missouri Medicaid) begins April 1st.

"Here is what this means for YOU (Missourians) who get healthcare coverage through MO HealthNet or any of the Managed Care health plans (Healthy Blue, Home State Health, or United Healthcare):

At some point between May 2023 and April 2024:

You will again be required to complete an annual renewal to make sure you are still eligible for help.

Your annual renewal typically takes place towards the end of your coverage period.

Important letters with more information will be mailed when your annual renewal is due.

If a response is required, you must submit it by the deadline in your letter to keep your healthcare coverage (if you are still eligible)."

So check your mail carefully!

For more information:
"

DSS Press Release | Medicaid eligibility annual renewals to resume April 1 with federal legislation signed into law Missouri Department of Social Services

How cold is too cold to take your little one outside?

https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-play/Pages/Cold-Weather-Safety.aspx #:~:text=In%20general%2C%20playing%20outside%20in,begins%20to%20freeze%20within%20minutes.&text=Several%20thin%20layers%20will%20help,and%20a%20hat%20are%20essential.

www.healthychildren.org

Please get your kids vaccinated against influenza if you haven’t already. We are seeing children getting very sick from influenza. The flu shot reduces risk of getting flu partially, but its real strength is reducing a child’s risk of dying from influenza. Please call 314-500-5437 to schedule your appointment or book an appointment via the portal.

Thank you,
Dr. Abraham

How flu spreads. Reduce your risks: get vaccinated, avoid sick people…..
and don’t spread it!

How Flu Spreads Flu viruses spread by droplets made when people cough, sneeze or talk.

St. Teresa Pediatrics is looking for 3 types of volunteers.

1. Someone who can help us with data entry re: vaccine records. This can be done mostly remotely though in person training would help. A few hours per week would help and could be done on one’s own schedule.

2. In person: Someone who can help us with small tasks such as cleaning rooms with love. We disinfect each room between each patient (even before the pandemic) and need some extra help with this when patient care gets busy. Mid-day a couple times a week would be perfect.

3. Intercession: can be done remotely! Persons who pray for our patients, staff, and all our souls.

Please email [email protected] if you are interested in volunteering and have the time to commit.

Every moment together is an opportunity to talk, connect, and play.

Molly Wright: How every child can thrive by five | TED "What if I was to tell you that a game of peek-a-boo could change the world?" asks seven-year-old Molly Wright, one of the youngest-ever TED speakers. Breaki...

You should be able to schedule flu shots via the portal now. We are field testing. Please let us know if it doesn’t work!
Dr. Abraham

This guy just got his flu shot!!! We need to stay healthy!

We are under way with flu shots! Please call 314-500-5437 to schedule your child’s flu shot. We have flu shots in regardless of insurance type. We can immunize parents with commercial insurance as well.

Vaccines for Children patients: Flu shots are in! We now have flu shots for kids on Medicaid or who are uninsured. Please call 314-500-5437 to make an appointment.

We continue to have flu vaccine for kids with commercial insurance. If parents with commercial insurance wish to get their flu vaccine here, we can do that.

Flu shots are in! This is for patients (and parents) with commercial insurance. That is insurance through an employer or the marketplace. The flu vaccine we carry is preservative-free and licensed for 6 months old and up, including adults.

We are still waiting on the state to send us flu vaccine for our kids eligible for VFC (Vaccines fro Children)--kids 18 and under on Medicaid, uninsured, or Native American.

With precautions lax and poor flu vaccine uptake last year, the CDC is telling us to anticipate a bad flu season this year. Flu is very dangerous for young children especially. Persons with asthma and pregnant women are also high-risk. Please get your family vaccinated.

Babies under 6 months are too young to be vaccinated, but family members can cover them in protection by getting themselves vaccinated and staying away from sick people to the best of their ability. Also, pregnant women should get vaccinated and you will pass on immunity via the placenta and through breastfeeding!

We have enough vaccine that we can offer the flu shot to parents this year. You do have to register and make an appointment for yourself as well as your children.

Thank you,
Dr. Abraham

We will be closed this Monday in observance of Labor Day. As always, if you have any urgent questions, you may call and follow prompts to be connected to the triage nurse on call.

Thank you and have a wonderful weekend!
Dr. Abraham

With schoolbells about to ring, do you have any forms you need from us? Call or send a portal message today. Please don’t wait until the last few days.

COVID is becoming more aggressive against young children. We (Dr. Abraham & Dr. Herbers) strongly recommend vaccinating against COVID in all children, including children under 5. If possible, we recommend the *Moderna* vaccine for children

COVID-19 Vaccine & Testing Information - Affton Medicine Shoppe