Allergy Shots
If your child receives an allergy shot in the office, we ask you to wait in our office for 30 minutes after your child receives the shot to observe them for a reaction. This is a standard requirement of all allergists we work with.

Missed Appointments
Physicians schedules are often full. When a patient fails to keep an appointment, that time cannot be utilized by other patients who are ill and need to see a physician. Therefore we do charge for missed appointments.

To avoid being charged, cancellations should be made at least 4 hours before the scheduled appointment and when possible, 24 hours in advance. We are aware that emergencies do arise so please do not hesitate to call if this should occur.

Deciding when to call the physician on call
Often when our physicians are on-call for medical emergencies, they hear from parents who say that they are not sure whether they should have called or waited until the office opens. We want to take excellent care of your children. When a true emergency does arise, we want to be available to you. You can help us by knowing when to call the doctor for an after-hours emergency and when to seek treatment during normal office hours.

If you think your child is experiencing an emergency or if you are uncertain, please call. If it is not an emergency, we kindly ask that you allow the physician to remain available for children who need the doctor's immediate attention. The following list will help you make that decision:

• Serious Injury from a fall or other type of accident
• Acting strangely or becoming more withdrawn and less alert
• Trouble with breathing
• Bleeding that does not stop
• Skin or lips that look blue or purple (or gray for darker-skinned children)
• Rhythmical jerking and loss of consciousness (a seizure)
• Unconsciousness
• Very loose or knocked-out teeth, or other major mouth or facial injuries
• Increasing or severe persistent pain
• A cut or burn that is large or deep
• A head injury involving loss of consciousness, confusion, a bad headache, or vomiting several times
• Fever greater than 100.4 degrees rectally in a child less than 2 months of age

Examples that do not require an ER visit (Adobe PDF Document)

Vaccine Policy Statement
We firmly believe that all children and young adults should receive all of the recommended vaccines according to the schedule published by the Centers for Disease Control and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

We firmly believe, based on all available literature, evidence and current studies, that vaccines do not cause autism or other developmental disabilities. We firmly believe that thimerosal, a preservative that has been in vaccines for decades and remains in some vaccines, does not cause autism or other developmental disabilities.

Read the Full Georgetown Pediatrics Vaccine Policy Statement (Adobe PDF Document)