Parents:

5/18/2021: MASK AND ATTENDING APPOINTMENT UPDATES

With regards to the changing mask regulations, we would like to remind parents that as a healthcare facility, we are still enforcing the mask policy in our office. However, we will now begin allowing 2 healthy adults/parents to accompany children to their appointments. Both must be wearing masks, not experiencing any sick symptoms, nor be pending any COVID test results or in quarantine. We appreciate your consideration of these guidelines. If you have any questions or concerns, please call the office.

Please follow our Facebook @summerwoodpediatrics for more up dated information.

2/22/21: It is now an office policy that if you need to obtain a form or document electronically, you must have an active patient portal for us to send it to you. If you do not currently have access to you child's portal, please call the office for details. Thank you!

4/19/21: COVID VACCINE AND OTHER VACCINATIONS:
Please be advised that we cannot administer any vaccines to a patient 2 weeks before or after a COVID vaccine (4 weeks if it is a “live” vaccine such as MMR or Varicella). You are welcome to keep your scheduled well visit and then schedule an injection only appointment after the recommended wait time. Please call the office if you have any questions or concerns. Additionally, if you have proof of the COVID vaccine administration, please bring it to your appointment to be put in your child’s chart.

For more information about COVID-19, click here

Onondaga County (COVID-19) Information 

We now offer telemedicine appointments! For more info....

A Letter from Dr. Dracker  - dated 06/14/2021

Dear Parents,
The “schoolyear” will be ending soon, regardless of the format your children have been attending. What has been obvious to me has been the variability in teaching methods over the past year and their efficacies for each child. Some children have seemed to do very well with any educational method they have been asked to use, while others have really struggled when they have not been in a live classroom environment and have had to work more independently then they have had to in the past. It may be difficult in some schools to assess the academic needs of each particular student once regular classroom schedules resume in the fall. Unfortunately, teachers will be bearing this burden and I hope that schools will be considering supportive adjunctive measures to assist students who may have fallen behind academically. Please make sure that you communicate well with your children with regards to their understanding and capacity to handle new grade specific information, and if they seem to be struggling then you should ask for assistance on their behalf sooner rather than later.
Vaccine efforts continue to demonstrate their effectiveness in mitigating the SARS-CoV2 infections in our populations. With the increasing administration in children, the actual numbers of infections and hospitalization continue to fall. In generally, the effectiveness of new vaccine technologies and the extremely rare significant adverse reactions have been quite remarkable to consider, demonstrating protective results rarely seen with vaccines in general. There are still questions outstanding regarding the durability or lasting protections associated with the different vaccines and whether booster doses will be required and when. In all likelihood, booster doses will be necessary, since Coronaviruses in general intrinsically demonstrate mutational changes and are not associated with long lasting immunity even following infection. The first priority however is the initial immunization of all individuals, especially children, which I highly recommend. Within the next few weeks, we anticipate FDA approval of COVID vaccinations for children down to at least two years of age, which ultimately will go down to 6 months of age. I will continue to keep you informed of any information that I feel is of value to your families.
Finally, some reminders regarding living life normally again! Although many people now seem to go without masks in public places, I strongly encourage you to use masks and practice good hygiene methods if you or others have not been vaccinated. Masks will continue to be required in most health care settings. Perhaps we need to live more “hygienically” since we have witnessed dramatic reductions in the incidence of influenza and other respiratory infections when we utilize barrier precautions and good hand washing. The COVID Era is not over and like most community infections, related illnesses occur given any opportunity to resurface. I also need to mention that we need to remember general, summer-related health care concerns such as sun exposure prevention and sunscreen use, tick exposures and possible Lyme disease complications, bug bites and their potential to develop into subsequent skin infections from scratching, pool and water safety, and adequate fluid intake and rest. At this point I will stop medically preaching and remind you that we are always here to help you with your questions and with the care of your children. Please enjoy your summer and have a wonderful time with your families. 

Sincerely, 

Dr. Dracker