Dr. Michael Simon, Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine

09/26/2025

FLU VACCINE
To accommodate more patients quickly, we have opened and dedicated our schedule for influenza vaccine appointments on Wednesday, October 1st and October 8th. We are working to get all patients vaccinated as soon as possible. Call to schedule appointments for FluMist today!

09/08/2025

Allergy nasal spray may reduce risk of COVID-19 infections and other respiratory infections as reported by NBC news is not new information. If the authors had done a literature search, they would have found I published this information in 2003... "The Efficacy of Azelastine in the Prophylaxis of Acute Upper Respiratory Tract Infections", Pediatric Asthma, Allergy and Immunology, volume 16, number 4. Pages 275-282. Michael W Simon, MD., PhD. This information is also available in the first text of my pediatric "owner's manual" information trilogy, The Pediatric Primer. A Medical Encyclopedia For Caring For Sick And Well Children. Additionally, I sent this information to the Trump COVID team during the COVID-19 pandemic. I have used Azelastine with success for my patient population to protect them from viral respiratory tract infections. Michael W Simon, MD., Ph.D.

Azelastine is a potent and selective second-generation histamine H1 receptor antagonist. It also effectively down regulates expression of the intracellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) receptor, which plays an important role in human rhinovirus, Coxsackie type A viruses, adenovirus type 5, human par...

03/06/2025

New information with early introduction of food allergens before the age of one year.

12/09/2024

This is Dr Simon’s third “owner’s manual” for parents, grandparents, family member, and anyone participating in childcare. This text is a handy and necessary resource that reviews the risk of exposure to parasitic illness from domestic and international travel with specific relevant information about their transmission symptoms and treatment. After reading this text you’ll never walk barefooted on unpaved grass or soil, never eat undercooked raw, smoked or pickled red or white meat or seafood or raw aquatic plants.
Available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Universal publishers bookstore.

10/21/2024

FLU VACCINE DRIVE!
To accommodate more patients quickly, we have opened and dedicated our schedule for influenza vaccine appointments on the afternoon of Friday, October 25 and Election Day, November 5. With influenza already circulating in our community, we are working to get all patients vaccinated as soon as possible. Call today to schedule appointments for FluMist and Fluzone vaccines.

09/10/2024

Hey everyone, its that time of the year again! We have Flu vaccines in the clinic. The Flu vaccine is available for all patients 6 months and older. Flu injections are available for children 6 months and older. Flumist is available to all 2 years of age and older.

06/06/2024

Hello! Time for another “Simon Says,” information from your favorite pediatrician, Dr. Simon! Today’s topic is all about the dangers of energy drinks. You know the ones—Celsius, Prime Energy, Alani Nu, Red Bull, Monster, Bang, etc. Most of them contain a whopping 200mg of caffeine, which is the equivalent of 2 cups of coffee. These energy drinks can cause very dangerous changes to the heart such as high blood pressure, irregular heart rate, and even abnormal heart rhythms, such as Afib. These heart changes can lead to blood clots that damage vessels inside the brain and increase the risk of bleeding in the brain and stroke. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) recommends 100mg or less daily for children ages 12-18. For children under 12, caffeine is not recommended at all. Moreover, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends avoiding energy drinks altogether in all ages. So, what does Dr. Simon recommend you drink? As we get into the heat of the summer, proper hydration becomes paramount. Water is key but be careful not to chug large amounts of water all at one time. This can lead to a very dangerous situation called water toxicity. Remember to hydrate with water throughout the day, not all at once. You can also drink ½ strength Gatorade for electrolyte replenishment after sweating and losing fluids. For fun hydration, consider popsicles to help you beat the heat! “Simon Says,” remember to talk to your kiddo(s) and teen(s) about the dangers of energy drinks and proper hydration through the summer heat.

02/28/2024

Hello everyone! We had a great response to our “Points from the Practitioners” post last month, but realized we were missing a great opportunity to bring you “Simon Says!” from your favorite pediatrician, Dr. Simon. For our first “Simon Says!” we have a very serious topic with critically important information we want to inform our families of. Unfortunately, there has been a recent uptick in confirmed cases of measles in the US. Between immigrants with an unknown vaccination status and the population of unimmunized children in the US, there is a sufficient pool of susceptible people to drive a measles epidemic. We are on the cusp of that being a reality with measles now as of February 22,2024 being reported in 13 states in the US, including Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington. In Ohio, measles has been reported and confirmed in Dayton.

What are the symptoms of measles? Typically, symptoms start with fever that can be up to 104 degrees F, malaise, and loss of appetite, followed by red eyes, cold symptoms, and cough. These symptoms are typically present for a few days, when a rash develops characterized by “Koplik spots,” which are very small, white, gray, or bluish spots that appear in the mouth on the gums and even hard and soft palate. About 2 to 4 days after fever starts, you can break out into a red rash that starts on the face and spreads to the neck, trunk, and arms and legs. The palms of the hands and soles of the feet are typically spared. After several days, the rash will then turn to a brown color and begin to fade in the order it appeared.

Measles is not simply a viral illness with fever and rash. Severe complications including pneumonia and brain inflammation, encephalitis, may occur. Blindness may occur in individuals with a low vitamin A level. Children are especially susceptible to measles complications with 16.2% of those less than five years of age and 24% of those younger than nine months of age dying from either measles pneumonia with breathing complications or encephalitis. This is the worst nightmare any parent could encounter.

Prior to the introduction of the measles vaccination, there were around 48,000 hospitalizations for measles each year with an associative 400 to 500 deaths. The MMR (Measles, Mumps, and Rubella) vaccine can be administered as early as 6 months in infants in cases of positive exposure, but it is typically given at 12-15 months and 4 years. It is a two-dose series. Because babies typically have antibodies from their mother against measles until about 15 months of age, our office delays the first dose until 15 months. Because of the recent outbreaks, we recommend the two-dose series to our patients for maximum protection.

This is not intended to scare you, but simply to make you aware and empower you to make informed decisions for you and your family. If your child has exposure to a confirmed case of measles, contact our office during our business hours. We will review measures to minimize your child and siblings developing measles complications and review with you options and timing of a vaccination if your child has not received an MMR vaccination.

02/14/2024

It’s Valentine’s Day! Celebrate by sharing kindness and love with family and friends today, and perhaps pass along a smile or nod everyone you see throughout your day! We’re sharing our love with a donation to Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Bluegrass for the love they share with children and families each and every day.

Because we are who we are, we would be remiss if we didn't point out that the heart is the universal symbol for today, and encourage you to make a point of doing something HEART-HEALTHY with your family today – take a walk together, a race around the perimeter of your yard, partake of some added fresh fruits or veggies! Happy Valentine’s Day!

01/29/2024

Hello, Alli and Heather here! This is a new little thing we call "Points from the Practitioners!" For this first edition, we just wanted to update our families on a few things that can be done to keep everyone as healthy as possible while we continue to ride out this cold and flu season. Flu season can easily last through March. Typically, colds may last until May. If you've not had an influenza vaccination, it's not too late to receive one for protection this year. We currently have both influenza vaccinations available, either injection or the intranasal "FluMist." Contact our office to set up a time to receive your influenza immunization. As with any illness, rest and recovery are key to good health and helping our bodies function well. Other preventive measures may be taken to protect and minimize children and their parents from colds, which include:

• Mouthwash- swish and spit or gargle with Listerine or salt water. This helps to disinfect the mouth of germs. The best times to do this are in the morning upon waking and in the afternoon when arriving home from school or work.

• Probiotics- Probiotics are medicines with good bacteria inside of them. When we take a probiotic daily, it helps to colonize the body with these good bacteria and in turn crowds out the bad bacteria that can make us sick. In addition to boosting the immune system, probiotics help with bowel function, allergies, and eczema. Kids that are on a daily probiotic tend to bounce back from illnesses faster. There are multiple choices, but the best ones in the drugstore now are BioGaia, Lactinex, Culturelle, and Align. These offer age-appropriate choices of infant drops, chew tabs, capsules and sprinkles. Ask your pharmacist to point out where they keep these products at your specific drugstore.

• Nasal Sprays- Astepro is an antihistamine nasal spray that can be used daily to prevent germs that we breathe in from making us sick. Astepro is safe for children of all ages. Nasonex or Flonase are two over the counter corticosteroid nasal sprays that can help with symptoms of non-allergic rhinitis and seasonal allergic rhinitis. For any of these options, one spray is applied to each nostril 2 times a day. Tilting the head forward for a few seconds helps the excess run out of the nose onto a tissue preventing the much-dreaded dribble down the throat. All of these nasal spray options can be found in your preferred drugstore or grocery store.

• Multivitamin- At age 2, children can start taking a chewable vitamin daily such as Flintstones chewable. At age 12, if your child can swallow, he/she can take a pill form of vitamin. It is important that your multivitamin of choice has iron and calcium in them, so make sure you’re reading the label! Children less than two years of age should continue their liquid multivitamin with iron supplement.

• Zinc- Zinc helps to boost your immune system. Like Vitamin C, it is water-soluble, meaning our body uses what it needs and does not store the rest. Because of this, you cannot take too much Zinc. Zinc is safe at any age. You can typically find liquid, chewable, and tablet forms of Zinc.

01/26/2024

We are honored and delighted to introduce Allison (Alli) Ward, APRN and Heather Howell, APRN as new members of our practice family!

Alli Ward is originally from Andalusia, AL. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree from Auburn University in Auburn, AL. She received her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)- Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Primary Care degree from the University of South Alabama in Mobile, AL. Her nursing experience began in the Level IV NICU at Children’s of Alabama in Birmingham, AL, where she cared for the most critically ill infants in the state and region. Additionally, she has experience in school nursing, taught undergraduate nursing students in the Simulation and Skills Lab at Auburn University College of Nursing, and is currently Part Time Faculty at University of Kentucky College of Nursing. She joins Dr. Simon in providing primary care for pediatric patients from newborn through 21 years of age. Alli is married to her high school sweetheart and has a chocolate cockapoo named Archie.

Heather Howell was born and raised in Eastern Kentucky. She received her Bachelor of Science in nursing from Ohio University and her Masters of Science in nursing from Morehead State University, where she was awarded with outstanding graduate award. Heather comes from a broad background of working in Neurology, ICU/ ICU step-down units, and labor and delivery. Heather is a board-certified family nurse practitioner. She loves helping families feel comfortable and educated through their life transitions, from bringing home a new bundle of joy, to the progression of school age children and beyond. She is joining Dr. Simon in caring for pediatrics from newborn to 26 years of age.

Alli and Heather are accepting new patients, as well as getting to know our current patients! Welcome Alli and Heather!

12/26/2023

We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas holiday. We are back in the office this week Tuesday-Friday, regular business hours.

Looking into next week and the New Year, our office will be closed in observance of New Year's Day on Monday. We will be back in office Tuesday-Friday again next week.

A new year often brings the opportunity for growth and change, which our office will be experiencing in January. Heather Watkins has been our Nurse Practitioner for the past 4 years. She will be leaving us to pursue an opportunity in her hometown of Lawrenceburg. Her last day with us is January 12th.

We will be adding two Nurse Practitioners to our staff in January in order to continue providing the best care possible. There will be more information in the coming days about our newest healthcare providers.