Dr. Michael Simon, Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine

01/19/2026

Vaccination 2026 update

The president directed HHS to revamp our vaccination schedule based upon that done in other countries. They chose Denmark, a country that has a public funded, socialized healthcare system. It provides comprehensive care for primary care, specialist and hospitalizations mainly free with a co-pay for prescriptions and dental care for all legal residents. Adapting this model, with this medical system, less is more. Our government currently purchases and provides vaccinations for those on assistance programs. With the less is more approach, it saves the government substantial money by recommending fewer vaccinations overall and fewer routinely given to complete a series.

Although this may seem to be optimal, it is actually detrimental especially for vaccinations provided in a series. For vaccinations given in a series the initial vaccination provides initial protection from a particular germ. Once a vaccination has been received, there will be immediate protection within 7 to 10 days and also generated a memory response. This means if you are exposed to the germ after the vaccination, your body in 3 to 8 days through its memory system will produce protective antibody levels. However for certain aggressive germs like Neisseria meningitis which causes meningococcal meningitis, progressing from onset of illness to death may only be several hours. In this situation your body's immunological memory system does not have enough time to produce protective antibodies and death is the outcome. Especially for this germ, receiving a series of vaccinations is critical for protection. Haemophilus influenzae, the Hib vaccination may also be a similar situation.

For the vaccination for cervical cancer, colorectal cancer and nasopharyngeal carcinoma, the HPV or Gardisil 9 vaccination, the recommendation has been changed from two or three doses depending upon the timing of their receipt, to just a single dose. It has been well documented that some protection will be generated after the first dose. This vaccination is given in a series to promote more sustained and greater levels of protective antibody. When given and completed, the series may be as effective as 99% in preventing these cancers. Unfortunately, following the current recommendation, with a single dose there will still be individuals who develop these preventable cancers. So in certain situations, less is certainly not better.

In the United States, we have routinely immunized against 18 human communicable diseases, Denmark just 10. All vaccinations that were previously recommended by the CDC will for now remain covered by insurance companies without cost sharing.

Vaccinations that will continue to be universally recommended:
Chickenpox (Varicella).
Diphtheria Pertussis Tetanus (DPT).
Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib).
Human Papillomavirus (Gardisil 9) only 1 dose.
Pneumococcal (Prevnar).
Measles Mumps Rubella (MMR).

Vaccinations no longer universally recommended:
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis B
Influenza
Meningococcal
Polio
Rotavirus

The decision to receive the vaccinations in the "no longer recommended" category should be individualized after a discussion with your healthcare provider.

11/25/2025

Your Owner's Manual series: The Perfect gift for family members and anyone involved in child care. Available at Universal publishers bookstore, Barnes & Noble, Amazon.

10/13/2025

Dr Simon found this article and thought it would be of interest to some of our parents.

Gym buffs, be warned: High protein intake can be harmful for people with kidney damage, and it may contribute to lesser-known health issues related to how it ferments in the gut.

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!