Pediatric Associates of Whidbey Island

03/24/2026

03/24/2026

An 'explosive' meningitis outbreak centered in Canterbury, Kent, UK has killed two young people, with 9 confirmed and 11 probable cases, and health officials say they've never seen anything spread this fast.

A few things worth knowing if you're seeing this and panicking:
The outbreak strain is MenB, which is the most common cause of bacterial meningitis in the UK, but not the dominant strain here in the US. So this isn't a direct alarm bell for American families, but it's not irrelevant either.

If you're in the UK: the government is rolling out MenB vaccines to students at the University of Kent this week. If you're a student or have a college-age kid anywhere in the UK (not just Kent) this is a good moment to check vaccination status for MenB. Many people born before 2015 won't have received it, since that's when it was added to the routine schedule. Your GP or NHS 111 can advise on next steps.

For US families: MenB vaccines are available in the US. They were never universally recommended here for all healthy teens, it's always been a conversation with your doctor. A separate meningococcal vaccine, MenACWY, was previously universally recommended. In January, CDC changed that, shifting many healthy teens to 'shared clinical decision‑making', meaning you and your clinician decide together. It remains fully recommended for higher‑risk groups, including college freshmen in dorms. A federal judge blocked those changes this week, but the administration is appealing. So we're in legal limbo on vaccine policy at exactly the wrong moment. Regardless, families can still ask for and receive these vaccines.

If you have a college-age kid or a teen, this is worth a conversation with your pediatrician — not a panic, but a conversation.

And regardless of where you are: know the symptoms. Sudden fever, severe headache, stiff neck (you may not be able to comfortably touch your chin to your chest), sensitivity to light, a rash that doesn't fade when you press a clear glass against it. Don't wait for all symptoms to appear; early on it can look like flu or even a bad hangover. If something feels wrong, get seen!

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/17/world/europe/meningitis-b-outbreak-kent-uk.html?unlocked_article_code=1.UFA.Dgps.JZGu3zeFz3Um&smid=url-share
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cev7rl437epo

03/20/2026

03/20/2026

Please complete the form below to register for the UW Autism Center's webinar "Could I Be Autistic? A Webinar for the Self-Identified or Wondering" on Thursday, April 9, 2026 from 6:00-7:00 PM PT.

03/16/2026

Has anyone else heard this?

Read the full article here:
🔗https://theunbiasedscipod.substack.com/p/three-lessons-the-flu-taught-me-this

03/16/2026

Is natural immunity better than vaccination? It’s a question many parents ask, especially when it comes to measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases. In...

03/16/2026

03/16/2026

Come to the Oak Harbor Library to build reading skills and confidence by reading aloud to a certified therapy dog. For elementary students ages 5-12, with an adult.

Reading with Rover is a community-based literacy program working with schools and libraries.

This program will be at 11am on Saturday, March 21. For more information, please visit https://buff.ly/CNAC3pD

03/14/2026

🚸 “Just Stop It” Series

If you wouldn’t invite a stranger off the street into your home and let them stand next to you while you change your baby’s diaper, change their clothes, or give them a bath… then you should not be recording those moments and posting them on social media.

Yet this happens every single day.

Parents share photos and videos of their children in vulnerable, private moments—bath time, diaper changes, potty training, getting dressed—often thinking it’s harmless, funny, or just a memory to share with friends.

But once something is posted online, it is no longer private.

These are intimate moments that belong to your child. They are not content.

Kids are not property, even if they are your kids. They are human beings who deserve privacy, dignity, and protection.

Child predators are everywhere, and many of them spend a significant amount of time on social media platforms specifically because parents are posting exactly this type of content.

And yes, I’m talking about many of you reading this!!!

The reality is that predators don’t need to go looking very hard anymore. Adults are literally handing them access to their own kids.

So can you PLEASE STOP recording and posting vulnerable moments of your children online.

Stop turning their private moments into public content.

Stop exploiting your kids.

Just stop it.