Coronavirus (COVID-19) NEWS UPDATES

We are actively monitoring the Coronavirus outbreak.  Please check this website for updates & resources.

WHAT TO DO IF MY CHILD OR ANOTHER FAMILY MEMBER TESTS POSITIVE? 

Positive Home Test CLICK HERE

UPDATED 8pm on 12/27/21: https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2021/s1227-isolation-quarantine-guidance.html

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ATTENTION: COVID VACCINE CLINIC 01/12/2022

Hello everyone,

We will be offering another COVID vaccine clinic Wednesday, January 12, 2022 for the 5 to 11 year old age group. This clinic is for first or second doses of vaccine for children 5-11 years only.

If this is your child’s first dose please note at this time, we do NOT have a clinic set up at this time for dose two which is needed three weeks later, so you would need to schedule the second dose elsewhere.

If this is your child’s 2nd dose, please make sure there will have been at least 21 days between doses. If this is your child’s second dose you MUST bring your child’s COVID Vaccine Card inorder for your child to receive the vaccine. This is especially important if your child received their first dose elsewhere.

If you secure a spot to this clinic, please arrive exactly at the time scheduled to the first floor of our building, One Brookline Place. The entrance to the COVID VACCINE CLINIC will be on the exterior of the new addition in the rounded area. If you park in the garage, come out of the West Elevator Lobby and follow the pathway between 1 and 2 Brookline Place to the entrance of One Brookline Place. There will be a sign on a set of double doors to the right of the main entrance that reads Centre Pediatrics COVID Vaccine Clinic. Please do not go into the entrance of the lobby on the left side of the path. After your child receives the vaccine, you will be required to wait for a minimum of 15 minutes and in some cases up to 30 minutes, prior to leaving.

We have had some scheduling issues with the computer system: to schedule, you will need to select Centre Pediatrics Flu Clinic to self-schedule your COVID vaccine on Patient Gateway. Please note even though it is titled flu vaccine clinic this will be COVID VACCINE ONLY. Please visit our website at www.centrepediatrics.org for information on upcoming clinics and resources for other locations to get the vaccine. Step by step instructions to schedule through Patient Gateway are below:

INSTRUCTIONS TO SCHEDULE COVID SHOT FOR DECEMBER 22, 2021 COVID CLINIC:

1. Log on to Patient Gateway

2. Choose your child’s name

3. Go to Schedule an Appointment

4. Select Flu Shot (As stated above, we are having issues with the computer system – there will be NO flu shots at this clinic, only COVID vaccines),

5. Select Centre Pediatric Associates under location and hit continue

6. Select one of the openings on Wednesday, December 22, 2021 if they are available

Important to note:

Please call our office if your child develops any symptoms of COVID including fever, runny nose, cough, sore throat, vomiting, and/or diarrhea or if your child gets tested for COVID in the previous 7 days before the vaccine clinic, or if your child has come in contact with a known exposure to COVID in the 10 days prior to your vaccine appointment.

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12/10/21: Pfizer COVID booster now approved and recommended for 16 years and over. Should be done 6 months after completion of first series.

We do not have this formulation in our office. You can locate vaccine appointments here: https://vaxfinder.mass.gov/
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COVID Vaccine for Children ages 5-11 years (11/8/21)

On November 2, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) approved the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 years old.

This will be a 2-dose vaccination series specially formulated for children (smaller dose than used for adults).  Dose #2 is given 21 days after the first dose.  We will have a limited supply in our office and will be arranging for vaccination clinics as we receive more supply.  Additional information will be made available via patient gateway messages and our Facebook page.

Our capacity will be limited.  We recommend that you use the Massachusetts Vaccination Finder to search for appointments in your area.

Have questions about the vaccine?  Additional information and resources:

https://www.massgeneral.org/assets/MGH/pdf/children/carma-covid-19-pfizer-vaccine-ages-5-11.pdf

The Science Behind COVID vaccines

When can my child get the vaccine?

 


COVID Test Sites 

We ARE testing for COVID in our office and have sectioned off an area to do so safely, Test results take 1-3 days. We can also arrange for testing done at a Mass General Brigham site.  Additional testing information may be found here: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/find-a-covid-19-test


COVID Vaccine for 12 years+ (1/19/2020)

We do not have vaccine available for patients age 12 years + at this time. For more information about COVID vaccine please visit CDC and Mass Dept of Health sites:


COVID-19 isolation and quarantine information


TRAVEL DURING COVID


UPDATES IN OFFICE PROTOCOLS (6/30/2020)

  • Only one parent may accompany each child for a visit (both parents may attend the newborn and 2 week visits).  All parents and patients over the age of 2 years must wear a mask while in the office. Please do not bring siblings to the visit unless they also have an appointment scheduled.
  • All patients and parents will have temperature taken at check in and will be asked to use hand sanitizer.  If fever detected, you will be asked to leave and reschedule your visit.  

TELEMEDICINE VISITS

Centre Pediatrics is committed to continuing to provide health care services to the fullest extent possible.  In order to keep providing care in the safety of your home, when possible and clinically appropriate, we are conducting many visits by telemedicine (both telephone and video visits).  While we recognize that there are limitations to this format compared to face-to-face in person visits, we will do our best to continue caring for your children by conducting follow up and sick visits via telemedicine (face-to-face via computer or by phone).  Our MDs & NPs will be available Monday through Friday to assess your child and provide guidance and treatment recommendations over the phone or computer.  We will continue to remain open for necessary well visits and sick visits that cannot be adequately assessed via virtual visit. Per Governor Baker’s March 15th order on telehealth, insurance companies are required to cover any medically necessary services delivered via telehealth, whether related to COVID-19 or not.  Telemedicine visits should be covered by insurance companies but extent of coverage may vary based on individual insurance plans. 

Telephone advice: Our doctors and NPs will continue to give advice by phone.  Your insurance company may be billed, depending on the level of care (time, complexity) provided.

Please call our office to schedule your telemedicine visit.  


4/13/2020: Important update regarding Asthma Action Plans: If your child has an asthma action plan (AAP) for management of either reactive airway disease or asthma please read this important update regarding AAP and COVID-19.


Breastfeeding and COVID-19 (4/13/2020)

If you are a breastfeeding mother and are suspected of having COVID-19 or test positive for COVID-19:

  • Your breastmilk is still the best source of nutrition for your baby.
  • The safest and preferred way to feed your infant is to pump your breastmilk and have a healthy or non-COVID positive caregiver feed the infant your expressed breastmilk.
  • If pumping is not possible and/or a non-COVID caretaker is not available, the mother should breastfeed wearing a mask.

Please feel free to call our office if you have further questions regarding these recommendations.


4/16/2020: Smoking and vaping may increase the risk of serious health complications with COVID-19. See MGH information sheet here. 


WALK-IN CLINIC SUSPENDED

Please disregard all other information regarding walk-in clinic on other pages of our website.

In order to maximize safety for our patients and staff, Walk-in-Clinic at Centre Pediatrics has been suspended effective 3/13/2020.

We will continue to see patients for sick visits as scheduled visits ONLY.


Office visits: 

We are screening all patients who schedule visits by phone for coronavirus (COVID-19).  Additionally, all patients and families who come to scheduled clinic visits will be screened at check-in to help decrease the spread of this illness among our patient population.  Any patients who screen positive by phone, will be asked to reschedule their visit.


Letter to our patients and their families: March 16


Below is a list of trusted resources regarding Coronavirus (COVID-19):

Coronavirus COVID-19 Hotline (staffed by Partners Healthcare medical providers): any patient or member of the public is encouraged to contact the call line with questions and concerns and for reliable, expert information about the developing situation regarding Coronavirus.   Please call Phone Number: 617-724-7000, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week.

Additional resources for parents (click here)