Christine Meyer, MD

10/20/2026

Do you need a measles vaccine?

For guidance, check out our October newsletter, headed to inboxes this afternoon. We're also covering cold and flu preparedness, refilling prescriptions before the holiday madness starts, and much more.

Make sure you subscribe to receive our monthly newsletter by email – no spam, ever – and stay connected with our practice!

Dear Patients and Friends, Measles is in Chester County, and I am getting a lot of questions – especially after the Oxford case and school closing. Here's what you need to know: 1. What is happening?  As of 10/9, Pennsylvania now has the largest measles outbreak in the country, with more than 1,1...

10/13/2026

Measles is in Chester County, and I am getting a lot of questions. Especially after the Oxford case and school closing. Here is what I am telling my own patients.

📍 WHAT IS HAPPENING?

As of 10/9, Pennsylvania now has the largest measles outbreak in the country, with more than 1,100 cases and five deaths this year.

Chester County had 87 cases as of Friday, 10/9, mostly in the county's western and southern parts. About two-thirds of statewide cases are adults, and about 1 in 5 have been hospitalized.

Here is the most important fact:

Almost everyone who got sick was unvaccinated. Of the first 1,004 cases in the state, only FOUR were in vaccinated people.

💉 ARE YOU PROTECTED?

✅ Born before 1957? YES. You almost certainly had measles as a child. No action needed.

✅ Two documented doses of MMR? YES. You are 97% protected, and that protection lasts. You do NOT need a booster.

🟡 Only one dose? You are about 93% protected. Because measles is spreading here, the state recommends a second dose.

❓ No records or not sure? Get an MMR vaccine. An extra dose is safe. A blood test to check immunity is another option.

⚠️ Vaccinated between 1963 and 1967? Some of those early vaccines did not work well. You may need another dose.

A few important exceptions:

MMR is a live vaccine, so it is not recommended during pregnancy or for people who are severely immunocompromised.

🤒 WHAT DOES MEASLES LOOK LIKE?

Measles typically starts with:
• High fever (over 101 and usually 103 and up)--this is a key symptom

• Cough
• Runny nose
• Red, watery eyes but not j***y
• A rash a few days later that starts on the face and spreads downward--this is the HALLMARK of measles.

Measles is EXTREMELY contagious (TEN times as contagious as the flu).

People can spread it for FOUR DAYS before the rash appears and for four days after. The virus can remain in the air for up to TWO HOURS after an infected person leaves the room.

People with measles are usually very sick.

So, if you have a mild sore throat, runny nose, low-grade fever, and have had your childhood immunizations, the likelihood that you have measles is extremely low. Remember, this is sick season. It is much more likely that your illness is the flu, COVID, a cold, etc.

🚨 IF YOU THINK YOU HAVE MEASLES, PLEASE CALL FIRST!

Do NOT walk into your doctor's office, urgent care, or emergency department without calling ahead.

We need to arrange an evaluation so we can assess you safely without exposing other patients.

⏰ EXPOSED TO MEASLES?

If you were exposed and are not immune, call your doctor RIGHT AWAY.

An MMR vaccine given within 72 hours of exposure can prevent or reduce illness severity.

❤️ MY BOTTOM LINE

If you are vaccinated, your risk is very low.

This measles situation is NOT a reason to panic.

It IS a reason to find your vaccination records this week, make sure you and your family are protected, and ask questions if you are unsure.

Just like six years ago: Knowledge, not panic. Prevention, not fear.

10/09/2026

It's time for our annual Flu Shot Fest! Current patients, drop by TOMORROW, Saturday October 10 from 9-11am for a quick flu shot outdoors in our parking lot. No appointment needed! There are many great local events and festivals tomorrow, and it is going to be a beautiful day – so on your way to something fun, make this your first stop and cross a flu shot off your list. Ten minutes and you're on your way. Let's get it done!

10/01/2026

Three years ago, we learned that many of our patients were going to urgent care even when our office was open. We wanted you to see us instead.

That’s why we created Walk-In Hours.

📍 Seven Days a Week 8:00–11:30 AM
No appointment needed.

Walk-In Hours are perfect for common, quick problems like:
• Colds, coughs and sore throats
• Sinus infections
• Ear pain
• Pink eye
• UTI symptoms
• Minor back pain

Walk-In Hours have become incredibly popular, and we’re grateful that so many of you choose to come to us instead of urgent care.

We’ve also heard some frustrations, and we want to address them openly.

⏰ “I waited over an hour.”
Walk-in patients are seen in the order they arrive, so wait times depend on how busy the morning is.
When you check in, we’ll let you know the expected wait. If you’d rather not wait, we’re happy to book you a same-day sick appointment instead.

👩‍⚕️ “The clinician seemed rushed and didn’t address all of my concerns.”
Walk-in visits are intentionally short and focused on the one problem that brought you in. Your clinician may be caring for a full waiting room of patients that morning.
If you have additional concerns, we’ll gladly schedule a follow-up (usually within a few days), so those issues get the time and attention they deserve.

💊 “I waited and didn’t get an antibiotic.”
Most colds, coughs, and upper respiratory infections are caused by viruses. Antibiotics don’t treat viruses and can cause unnecessary side effects.

Our job is to evaluate you for a bacterial infection and treat it when appropriate.

If you need an antibiotic, we’ll prescribe one. And in most cases, we can dispense it right from our in-house pharmacy so you can head home with it.

🤔 Is Walk-In the right visit for me?

Some problems simply need more time. A 20-minute same-day sick appointment is usually a better choice than a 10-minute walk-in visit if you have:

• More than one problem to discuss
• Abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea lasting more than a day or two
• Dizziness, fainting, or a new or severe headache
• Blood pressure or blood sugar that is out of range
• Anxiety, depression, or another mental health concern
• Medication side effects or new symptoms after starting a medication
• Follow-up after an ER visit or hospital stay
• Symptoms that have already been treated but aren’t improving
• Work, school or disability forms beyond a simple sick note

Not sure which type of visit you need? That’s okay!

Our morning triage team will help make sure you get the right type of appointment as quickly as possible.

Our goal is simple: when you’re sick, we want you to be able to get care from the team that already knows you. ❤️

09/19/2026

I am always the last one out of the car for some reason. Since he was 4 or so, Sam hung back, waited for me, and took my hand. No one else could have made me laugh-cry on this walk down the aisle. I simply adore this kid. More wedding photos to come!

09/16/2026

09/15/2026

Our September newsletter is headed to inboxes today, and in it we are kicking off the flu shot season. Make a plan to come in for a convenient, fast flu shot, 7 days a week. Just walk in! (Though my favorite is our outdoor clinic on October 10. :) )

Be sure to subscribe so you never miss an update. Thanks for reading!

Check out the latest news from our practice.

07/28/2026

In 2004, my mother gave us six months.

She had just retired as an SVP at Merrill Lynch. She knew nothing about medical billing. She told us she would hold things together until we could afford a real billing company.

Twenty-two years later, she still drives from New Jersey to Exton twice a week and runs an extraordinary team.

She is 81. She is also the most independent woman I have ever known.
Here is the part I am not proud of. Her office is across the parking lot from mine. Weeks would go by without us crossing paths. I did not walk over. I did not call just to call.

On Sunday, July 5th, my mother was in a head-on collision. Fractured sternum. Four broken ribs. A small community hospital, then a regional trauma center, then a second one.

The trauma team at Paoli was outstanding. Kind, thorough, relentless. I was there too, as a physician: watching vitals, pushing for pain control, catching doctors on rounds. My sister and my niece were there twelve hours a day, getting her out of bed, feeding her, making her laugh.

When it came time for inpatient rehab, we brought her home instead. Her sisters, 84 and 76, insisted she stay with them. My sister and I moved in.
We bought a power lift recliner. We built a schedule for medications, meals, walking, exercise. I slept on the couch next to her, just in case.

What I did not expect was everything else.

My aunts cooked the food I grew up eating. At night we sat and talked about their childhood in Egypt. We laughed. We cried. We did face masks. The Amazon driver started grinning at the door. Ladies, what is in the box today?

I learned that my mother and her sisters are ferocious soccer fans who weep for Messi whether he wins or loses. The image of the three of them screaming and praying and rocking back and forth on that couch still makes me laugh out loud.

She has been off all pain medication for a week now. She still needs help in the shower and is nervous walking without a hand nearby. But we are already talking about her going home.

I have spent nearly three decades using medications and tests and procedures to take care of people. Those tools mattered here, and so did the surgeons and nurses who used them.

But I was not much use to my mother as a doctor. What she needed from me was the thing I had been too busy to walk across a parking lot to give her.

Time goes fast. Everyone says it. Pick up the phone, visit your parents.

Cursory calls are not enough.

Stay overnight. Ask for the stories, all of them. Learn who they were before they were yours. Look them in the eye. Say I love you, I am sorry, and thank you, without needing the words.

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05/16/2026

I recently realized that I have small rituals I use during my patient visits. For example, no matter what the visit was for: new patient, established patient, sick, well, etc., I always end with "Is there anything else I can do for you, today?"

A few months ago, I was shocked by the answer, and it led to one of the most meaningful patient interactions of my career.

My patient, who had recently been through a series of medical struggles, stood up, gathered her bag and jacket, and said, "Yes, actually. Will you have dinner with me?"

I was so surprised that I turned red. Then, I felt such an incredible feeling of honor that I was speechless.

Two weeks later, we sat at a little table in a local Italian place. We talked about medicine for ZERO minutes.

I learned how she met her husband, her career, family, and that she really likes burrata, and can spot a thinly sliced heirloom beet a mile away.

She let me talk about my kids, my empty-nesting, my daughter's upcoming wedding, and how I missed my son (perfectly fine, just busy and grown up) sometimes so much I couldn't breathe.

The minutes and hours flew by.

We are not doctors and patients, lawyers and clients, students and teachers. or baristas and coffee lovers. Underneath our white coats, suits, and ties, away from our smart boards and out of our aprons and name tags, we are all carrying joy, grief, love, fear, memories, and hope.

At the end of the day, we are all just humans, breathing in and out.

I find that tremendously comforting.

04/28/2026

Maisy is getting married. My mom is going to wear the dress she wore to my wedding exactly 30 years ago.🥹❤️❤️❤️❤️