MacKoul Pediatrics Fort Myers

12/18/2025

12/17/2025

12/17/2025

12/16/2025

This is not a statement I make lightly.

Vaccine policy should be guided by transparency, scientific rigor, and children’s health, not politics.

Examples that raise concern:
• Long-standing safety frameworks being questioned without new, compelling evidence
• Pediatric experts sidelined during discussions that directly affect children
• Decisions framed around political narratives and leaving out critical evidence instead of analyzing risk–benefit data

Children deserve better.

12/16/2025

While recent surges are occurring in countries and regions where children are less likely to die due to better nutrition and access to health care, those infected remain at risk of serious, lifelong complications such as:
👁️ blindness
🫁 pneumonia
🧠 encephalitis (an infection causing brain swelling and potentially brain damage)

Fact sheet on measles: bit.ly/4iq4nkD

12/16/2025

We honor the lives of Ella Cook and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov — two students whose lives were taken by g*n violence at Brown University.

Ella Cook is remembered as a bright light in her community. She was known for her boldness, her bravery, and her deep kindness. She was someone who showed up for others and worked to uplift the people around her. Those who knew her describe her as grounded, faithful, and full of care for her classmates and community.

Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov is remembered as a source of joy and generosity to those around him. He was studying at Brown to become a neurosurgeon, and his family describes him as incredibly kind, funny, smart, and as someone who never hesitated to help others. His roommate remembers him as someone who checked in, cheered people up, and made sure everyone around him was okay.

Ella and Mukhammad were classmates, friends, children, and community members. They were more than headlines. They were deeply loved, full of promise, and they should still be here today.

12/16/2025

12/16/2025

In the aftermath of tragic shootings — including recent events at Brown University and in Bondi Beach — many parents are trying to support their children while also coping with their own grief. It can feel overwhelming to make sense of painful news while still needing to show up as a steady presence at home. Children may hear or see upsetting news, ask difficult questions, or feel scared and confused. Parents and caregivers can help by offering comfort, answering questions honestly, and guiding kids through their fears in healthy ways.

We’ve put together tips to help you support your child as they process fear and loss — while also caring for yourself.

Multilingual Trauma Resources: https://childmind.org/guide/multilingual-trauma-resources/

Helping Children Cope with Frightening News: https://childmind.org/article/helping-children-cope-frightening-news/

12/16/2025

AAP is heartbroken and outraged by the mass shootings this weekend at Brown University and in Australia.

Schools, campuses, and community gatherings — places meant for learning, religious observances, and connection — should be free from the threat of gun violence. Children deserve to grow up without associating classrooms, public spaces, or celebrations with fear and loss.

We owe children more than our sorrow. We owe them action.

As pediatricians, we know that repeated exposure to violence, whether in person or on a screen, can harm children’s mental and emotional health. Parenting through these moments is overwhelming, and families should not have to shoulder this burden alone.

Gun violence is a serious threat to the health and safety of children and teens, and AAP will continue to advocate for policies that protect young people and help ensure that all children can learn, gather, and grow without fear.

For resources to help parents talk with children about tragic news events, visit https://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/Media/Pages/talking-to-children-about-tragedies-and-other-news-events.aspx

12/16/2025

Receipt of the shingles vaccine Zostavax may offer protective benefits against mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in cognitively healthy older adults and significantly slow disease progression in those diagnosed with dementia before vaccination, a new study showed.

After 9 years of follow-up, dementia-related mortality was 30% lower among vaccinated individuals with preexisting dementia than among unvaccinated individuals, which investigators said suggests a link with slower disease progression. http://ms.spr.ly/6188tcIms

12/16/2025