At Interlachen Pediatrics, we are committed to providing your child with the highest level of pediatric care. As everyone is aware, we are currently in the middle of a unique and potentially worrisome situation with the emergence of the novel H1N1 influenza virus. We want our patients and their families to know with confidence that our approach to this situation is consistent with our commitment to excellent pediatric medical care. This includes working hard to control the spread of this infection, caring for your child should they be exposed or become infected, and continuing to care for the regular (non-influenza related) health needs of your child during this current pandemic. Additionally, we are committed to being a coordinated part of the larger medical community striving to handle this issue in the best way possible. 

We realize that there are many questions that patients and parents have, and we want you to be provided with the best possible information. This information changes periodically as new observations are made concerning the novel H1N1 flu. Primarily, we follow the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and the American Academy of Pediatrics. These guidelines serve as a benchmark in determing the practices of Interlachen’s providers, nurses, and entire office staff. 

Specifically, I want to address 3 issues that have been the source of the majority of questions --

1) Testing for influenza illness;

2) Treatment and prevention of illness using medication (i.e. Tamiflu); and

3) A vaccine for H1N1 flu.

Why was my child not tested for H1N1?

Interlachen Pediatrics does have and is able to perform rapid flu tests; however, in most situations of possible and even suspected cases of H1N1 flu, testing is not necessary. Additionally, because there are a significant number of “false negatives” (i.e. patient really does have H1N1 flu but the test is negative) with these tests, a negative test does NOT rule out H1N1 flu in a patient with flu-like symptoms. Since testing is usually not necessary and often misleading AND we are trying to avoid unnecessarily exposing other Interlachen patients (both well and sick) to H1N1 flu in order to reduce the spread of the virus, bringing patients into the office simply for testing is not recommended (http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/guidance/rapid_testing.htm).

Why was my child not treated for H1N1? (e.g. Tamiflu)

Antiviral medications such as Tamiflu are currently being recommended for patients with suspected H1N1 flu if they have severe illness (i.e. requiring hospitalization) or are considered “high-risk” for complications. This includes

1. Children under 5 (especially under age 2);

2. Children with chronic illnesses such as asthma, diabetes, immune deficiencies, etc.

3. Pregnant women.

If a suspected case fits into one of these categories, it is important to seek treatment quickly as the benefit is significantly greater if treatment is started within 24 hours of onset of symptoms (http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/recommendations.htm).

H1N1 VACCINE

The seasonal flu vaccine will be available soon (likely around the first of September), and, as previously, we recommend that our patients receive this protection against seasonal influenza. However, this vaccine is not thought to provide any protection against H1N1 flu. A vaccine to prevent H1N1 infection is currently being developed and could be available around November of this year. If it is made available, Interlachen hopes to have an adequate supply to provide for targeted patients (determination of “targeted groups” will depend somewhat on the available supply of vaccine, but it likely will include all pediatric patients age 6 months – 24 years).

As stated above, we are committed to serving your children with the most excellent pediatric care available. Our triage nurses are available to answer your questions and our physicians and nurse practitioners are ready to see your child when necessary.