May 2026 Measles Outbreak Update - If you suspect your child has measles, either because of an exposure or because they have a fever AND a flat pink/red rash (at the same time), please call our office first and do NOT enter any healthcare facility (including our building) without first notifying our staff members. The Blue Ridge Health District reporting number for known exposures in undervaccinated individuals is: 434-422-3210.

Vitamin K shots for newborns prevent Vitamin K deficiency bleeding

Piedmont Pediatrics continues to recommend the evidence-based American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) childhood immunization schedule. Our office is still offering ALL vaccines from our original schedule. Insurance companies are still covering the costs of these vaccines, just as they did previously. The latest Human Health Services (HHS) changes, decreasing the recommended number of vaccines from 17 (18) to 11, are not based on any new trials or scientific studies and were announced without prior formal CDC input. The AAP-backed childhood immunization schedule is based on decades old, meticulously reviewed data, designed to keep our nation's children healthy and protect against acute and chronic infections, hospitalizations, and death. While HHS uses the phrase "shared clinical decision making" to imply that certain vaccines are less important than the others, Piedmont Pediatrics believes that ALL the immunizations on the AAP-backed schedule are important and potentially life-saving. This is why we recommend ALL of them, with links here , and at reliable sources such as HealthyChildren.org and CHOP.edu . Pediatricians everywhere will continue advocating to keep ALL children safe from preventable infectious agents, including RSV, hepatitis A and B, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), haemophilus influenzae, pneumococcus, polio, rotavirus, measles, mumps, rubella, varicella (chicken pox), HPV, meningococcus (ACWY and B), influenza, and COVID-19.

Beyfortus (nirsevimab) is an FDA approved and American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommended injection that helps prevent serious lung disease caused by Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). The latest data show immunization with nirsevimab (Beyfortus) decreases hospitalization from RSV by 98% in healthy, full term infants.

In September 2024, Consumer Reports tested for lead in ground cinnamon products and spice blends that contain cinnamon and found that 12 of 36 products measured above 1 part per million of lead—the threshold that triggers a recall in New York, the only state in the U.S. that regulates heavy metals in spices. In its October 2025 issue, Consumer Reports tested for lead in protein powders and shakes. "One of the main reasons people turn to supplements is the belief that their diet falls short on protein—a concern that many experts say is overblown. Americans need much less protein than they think, says Nicholas Burd, PhD, a professor of health and kinesiology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign who has studied protein extensively. “I’m constantly trying to pull protein out of people’s diets"... ... studies have found that most people, even vegans , are capable of getting more than enough protein through their diet alone. The latest federal survey of U.S. eating habits found that Americans of all age groups exceed the recommended dietary allowances for protein (PDF), with men clocking in at over 155 percent of the recommendations and women at over 135 percent. But many people still worry they are deficient, Burd says.

We have the updated 2025-2026 COVID-19 Moderna vaccine doses for children 6 months through 11 years of age. COVID-19 Moderna vaccine for those 12+ years of age will be coming soon. If you want to get these doses at local pharmacies, current HHS / CDC ruling is that prescriptions are no longer needed. Please call our office at 434-975-7777 for a prescription if you want one - we will be happy to print them for our patients.

Cetirizine (Zyrtec) is a safer and more effective antihistamine

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) just released a new policy and clinical report on PANS. Click here for more information here.