Athens Pediatrics Pllc

10/02/2026

👩‍⚕️Call us at (423) 745-5955 to schedule a shot only appointment💉

As of October 1st, we will also be giving BEYFORTUS, the RSV monoclonal antibody, to infants under 8 months entering their first RSV season. These can be given at SHOT ONLY appointments OR given at your infant’s well care appointment👶

10/01/2026

The Vitamin K shot at birth is so important. Oral vitamin K does not have the consistent bioavailability to safely protect young infants. This is a video from PEDIATRICIANS and The American Academy of Pediatrics discussing this lifesaving intervention for those who have questions.

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1bofVeeyWf/?mibextid=wwXIfr

09/19/2026

**What a week!** ❤️

I’m happy to report that I was able to speak directly with a pediatrician who is part of the Tennessee Department of Health. Our conversation was incredibly reassuring and valuable.

At this time, **we do not need to consider early MMR vaccination for our 6–11 month-old infants**, and I was reassured that the current measles cases have been contained, with **no evidence of further spread at this time.**

A huge thank you to Mark Cochran for responding so quickly and reaching out to the Department of Health on our behalf. I’m also very grateful for the conversation with the pediatrician I spoke with—a physician, a mother of a young infant, and someone who understands the concerns we have as both healthcare providers and parents.

This conversation also opened the door for improved communication regarding future measles cases and gave our local health department an opportunity to revisit its emergency preparedness plan for this particular disease.

As always, I will keep you posted if anything changes.

For now, our focus remains on the basics: **make sure your children are up to date on their routine MMR vaccines—first dose at 12 months and the second dose between 4–6 years.**

If you call our office with a child who has **fever and a rash**, we will likely continue to have you call from your car and have your child evaluated there before entering the building. We want to continue taking every reasonable precaution to prevent the spread of this highly contagious disease.

**At this time, the situation appears to be contained, and that is very good news for our community.** ❤️

— **Dr. Worley**

09/17/2026

🩺❤️ **OK, Athens Pediatrics families… YOU MADE US PROUD!**

Yesterday, our phones were buzzing. 📞📞📞

We received **DOZENS of calls from parents asking, “Is my child protected against measles?”**

And here’s the part that made us smile:

👉 **Out of all those calls, only ONE child needed to come in for a vaccine!** 👏👏👏

That means you’ve been listening.
You’ve been keeping up with your children’s vaccines.
And you’ve trusted our pediatrician and nurse practitioners to help guide you. ❤️

# # # 💉 A QUICK MMR REFRESHER

The MMR vaccine is part of the ROUTINE childhood vaccine schedule.

• **1st dose:** 12–15 months
🛡️ About **93% effective** against measles

• **2nd dose:** 4–6 years
🛡️ About **97% effective** against measles

And here's why this matters beyond your own child…

👶 **Vaccinating your child helps protect babies who are too young to receive their routine MMR vaccine.**

Every year, thousands of little ones come through pediatric offices like ours. Some are not yet old enough to be vaccinated, and some cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons.

So when you vaccinate your child, **you’re not just protecting YOUR family—you’re helping create a protective bubble around our entire community.** 🫶

And to all of our Athens Pediatrics families:

**THANK YOU.** ❤️

Thank you for asking questions.
Thank you for calling.
Thank you for staying informed.
And thank you for trusting us with the health of your children.

We are truly blessed to care for your families. ❤️

# # # 📍 WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW

I heard back from the Tennessee Department of Health yesterday and have a call scheduled during my lunch break today.

I'm specifically hoping to get more information about **which counties are affected** and guidance about what we should recommend for our **6–12-month-old babies** if the situation changes.

Our regional health department director also has my cell number and has promised to contact me if the situation begins moving closer to our county.

**We are watching. We are asking questions. And we will keep you informed.** 👀🩺

For now, if you're unsure whether your child is up to date on MMR, **give us a call.** 📞

❤️ **Thank you for trusting Athens Pediatrics. It is a privilege we never take for granted.**

— Dr. Rachel Worley, MD, FAAP
Athens Pediatrics

09/16/2026

Measles Update:
Here is what I have learned after a lovely conversation with our health department regional director.

🚨McMinn County is in the Southeast Region- this region has 0 active cases

🚨the East TN Region is where the cases are (Monroe County, Loudon County, Roane County, Blount County this is YOU)

Here are the screen shots of where you can look to stay up to date

09/16/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1F81jNodhF/?mibextid=wwXIfr

09/15/2026

According to the Tennessee Department of Health as of 9/11/26 there have been 3,294 CONFIRMED cases of measles in the US in 2026‼️

In the 12 months of 2025, there were 2,289 total⚠️

https://www.facebook.com/share/19Zrm5RaeM/?mibextid=wwXIfr

An 18-year-old in Pennsylvania has died from complications associated with measles, marking the fourth measles-related death reported this year. Health officials say the teen was unvaccinated and died from a rare neurological complication of measles.

The United States has not recorded four measles deaths in a single year since 1992.

Measles isn’t just a bad rash, it can lead to pneumonia, brain swelling, and in rare cases, serious neurological complications like the one that took this teen's life. The MMR vaccine remains one of the most effective tools we have against it, with two doses providing 97% protection and a safety record spanning more than six decades.
Every child deserves protection from vaccine-preventable diseases. Talk with your pediatrician to make sure your family is up to date on the MMR vaccine.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/4hrDrlI

09/15/2026

🚨 MEASLES IS NOW IN EAST TENNESSEE 🚨 🤒

Measles is HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS and spreads through the air. The virus can remain in the air for up to 2 hours after an infected person leaves an area. 🦠

🏥 Athens Pediatrics has been preparing. We will be implementing additional protocols in our office and will keep our families as informed and up-to-date as possible.

💉 If you have a child age 1 or older who is not fully vaccinated with MMR, please call us ASAP.

The MMR vaccine provides strong protection:
✅ 1st dose: about 93% effective against measles
✅ 2nd dose: about 97% effective against measles
The second dose is routinely recommended at 4–6 years of age, but vaccination schedules may be adjusted during an outbreak based on public health guidance.

⚠️ If you have been delaying your child's MMR vaccine, now is a good time to talk with your pediatrician about getting caught up.

📞 Call Athens Pediatrics with questions or to discuss your child's vaccination status.

Let's work together to protect our children and our community. ❤️💉

09/15/2026

🚨 MEASLES IS NOW IN EAST TENNESSEE 🚨 🤒

Measles is HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS and spreads through the air. The virus can remain in the air for up to 2 hours after an infected person leaves an area. 🦠

🏥 Athens Pediatrics has been preparing. We will be implementing additional protocols in our office and will keep our families as informed and up-to-date as possible.

💉 If you have a child age 1 or older who is not fully vaccinated with MMR, please call us ASAP.

The MMR vaccine provides strong protection:
✅ 1st dose: about 93% effective against measles
✅ 2nd dose: about 97% effective against measles

The second dose is routinely recommended at 4–6 years of age, but vaccination schedules may be adjusted during an outbreak based on public health guidance.

⚠️ If you have been delaying your child's MMR vaccine, now is a good time to talk with your pediatrician about getting caught up.

📞 Call Athens Pediatrics with questions or to discuss your child's vaccination status.

Let's work together to protect our children and our community. ❤️💉


https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1520052333484926&set=a.625127742977394&type=3

Confirmed measles cases in Tennessee have more than doubled in just two weeks, and state health officials are revealing where the majority of new infections are popping up. https://tinyurl.com/28vs5jvr

06/19/2026

Juneteenth marks a crucial day in American history when the last remaining slaves were granted freedom. At Athens Pediatrics, we champion the cause of freedom and rights for all Americans.
To those celebrating today, Happy Juneteenth!