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Getting our COVID 19 vaccinesSm

Everyone in the Child & Adolescent Health office is vaccinated against COVID-19! All children ages 5 and up now can too!! 

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COVID -19 virus Q&A

We ask for your patience given the tremendous increase in the number of phone calls we are receiving, and we are working with a reduced staff at the moment. We will do our best as always to meet everyones needs, but if we are unable to accomodate you please understand that we have high demand and limited availability. We are actively working to add additional providers and to answer all your questions. 

Please refer to these links for answers to common COVID-19 questions. 


What do you do if you or someone in your family has been exposed to COVID-19? Click on this link for answers about what to do, when to test, do I have to quarantine if I am vaccinated or not? 

American Academy of Pediatrics on COVID-19 COVID-19 Questions.

CDC update December 27, 2021 When should I get tested? Do I have to quarantine and for how long?  

CDC is updating the recommended quarantine period for those exposed to COVID-19. For people who are unvaccinated or are more than six months out from their second mRNA dose (or more than 2 months after the J&J vaccine) and not yet boosted, CDC now recommends quarantine for 5 days followed by strict mask use for an additional 5 days. Alternatively, if a 5-day quarantine is not feasible, it is imperative that an exposed person wear a well-fitting mask at all times when around others for 10 days after exposure. Individuals who have received their booster shot do not need to quarantine following an exposure, but should wear a mask for 10 days after the exposure.  For all those exposed, best practice would also include a test for SARS-CoV-2 at day 5 after exposure. If symptoms occur, individuals should immediately quarantine until a negative test confirms symptoms are not attributable to COVID-19.

Isolation relates to behavior after a confirmed infection. Isolation for 5 days followed by wearing a well-fitting mask will minimize the risk of spreading the virus to others. Quarantine refers to the time following exposure to the virus or close contact with someone known to have COVID-19. Both updates come as the Omicron variant continues to spread throughout the U.S. and reflects the current science on when and for how long a person is maximally infectious.

Data from South Africa and the United Kingdom demonstrate that vaccine effectiveness against infection for two doses of an mRNA vaccine is approximately 35%. A COVID-19 vaccine booster dose restores vaccine effectiveness against infection to 75%. COVID-19 vaccination decreases the risk of severe disease, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19. CDC strongly encourages COVID-19 vaccination for everyone 5 and older and boosters for everyone 16 and older. Vaccination is the best way to protect yourself and reduce the impact of COVID-19 on our communities.

Note: if your child has been exposed to someone with COVID, your school may allow Test and Stay. This means your school will test them daily and they can stay as long as they are negative. This is fine, but they must still quarantine outside of school for the duration of their quarantine. 

Can I get vaccinated against COVID-19 while I am currently sick with COVID-19?

No. People with COVID-19 who have symptoms should wait to be vaccinated until they have recovered from their illness and have met the criteria for discontinuing isolation; those without symptoms should also wait until they meet the criteria before getting vaccinated. This guidance also applies to people who get COVID-19 before getting their second dose of vaccine.

People who have had a known COVID-19 exposure should not seek vaccination until their quarantine period has ended to avoid potentially exposing healthcare personnel and others during the vaccination visit. This recommendation also applies to people with a known COVID-19 exposure who have received their first dose of an mRNA vaccine but not their second.

COVID -19 vaccine FAQ's FAQ's about getting vaccinated

  • If I already had COVID should I still get vaccinated? 

    Yes, you should be vaccinated regardless of whether you already had COVID-19 because:

    • Research has not yet shown how long you are protected from getting COVID-19 again after you recover from COVID-19.
    • Vaccination helps protect you even if you’ve already had COVID-19.

    Evidence is emerging that people get better protection by being fully vaccinated compared with having had COVID-19. One study showed that unvaccinated people who already had COVID-19 are more than 2 times as likely than fully vaccinated people to get COVID-19 again.

    If you were treated for COVID-19 with monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma, you should wait 90 days before getting a COVID-19 vaccine. Talk to your doctor if you are unsure what treatments you received or if you have more questions about getting a COVID-19 vaccine.

    If you or your child has a history of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in adults or children (MIS-A or MIS-C), consider delaying vaccination until you or your child have recovered from being sick and for 90 days after the date of diagnosis of MIS-A or MIS-C. Learn more about the clinical considerations for people with a history of multisystem MIS-C or MIS-A.

    Experts are still learning more about how long vaccines protect against COVID-19. 

    Everyone 18 years and older who is fully vaccinated is eligible for a booster.If you get a booster shot you have the option to either get the same COVID-19 vaccine product as your primary series, or you can get a different COVID-19 vaccine. You may have a preference for the vaccine type that you originally received, and you may prefer to get a different booster. CDC’s recommendations now allow for this type of mix and match dosing for booster shots (Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, or J&J/Janssen). 

LIMITING EXPOSURE TO THE VIRUS

We have implemented many measures at Child and Adolescent Health to try and help limit spread of the virus and continue. The most important mode of transition remains direct close contact with an individual who is contagious with the virus. As a medical facility, we continue to assess the potential for this to occur in our office, and we are asking for your understanding as we have implemented the following procedures to reduce the risk of exposing our patients or our staff to the disease:

  • We ask for your patience given the increased number of phone calls we are receiving, and we are working with a reduced staff at the moment.
  • We request that parents or caregivers who have fever, nasal congestion, sneezing or cough please call us in advance of your child’s appointment so we can assess whether you should be coming to our office as well. If there is no alternate person to bring your child, we will discuss whether rescheduling the appointment would be more appropriate.
  • We are practicing social distancing at our office, asking you to maintain 6 feet distance between other patients and our staff to the extent this is possible.
  • Any patient/parent or caregiver will be required to wear a mask once you arrive in the office and while you are in the building.
  • We may be contacting you about rescheduling some visits to a future date while we are managing the coronavirus concerns. We appreciate your understanding as this may be inconvenient, but we want to assure you that the safety of your child and our staff is our main concern.
  • If you are not on Patient Gateway, please ask us about signing up when you are in contact with our office. This is how you will access any COVID test result. Additionally you need to be registered to conduct a telehealth/virtual visit as well as  you can send messages to the office including request refills for medications. Once set up this can be done thru a simple phone app.

Our ability to remain open and available to care for our patients during this pandemic is our foremost concern, and we are asking everyone to help reduce risk to other patients and our staff.   Please follow all the public health recommendations for “social distancing and good handwashing (through and often for 20 seconds) to reduce spread of this disease. 

It will take the entire country’s effort to reduce spreading this illness, and to protect the most vulnerable individuals among us - older adults, or medically vulnerable individuals among us.

If you have any needs that you can't meet during this time below is a list of resources. Affiliated Pediatric Practices Resourses List.  If you do not find what you need please call us. 781-383-8380.


 Joy wicked local

 O U R   S E R V I C E S

At Child and Adolescent Health Specialists, PC, our physicians believe that the best health-care for children is provided in partnership between families and health professionals. Our team approach to holistic healthcare includes patient and family, your chosen Primary care Physician who will oversee your children's health needs, our Developmental-Behavioral Specialists and Clinicians when needed, and our clinical and administrative support staff, to assure all your children's needs are met in a coordinated manner, on an ongoing basis. 

We value your insight and perspective as a parent. Therefore, we are committed to fostering open communication and mutual respect. We are dedicated to exceeding your expectations.

We are proud to have achieved PCMH and Mass Behavioral Integration Distinction in 2018, to serve the needs of our patients throughout the South Shore in Cohasset, Hull, Hingham, Weymouth and Quincy, to Scituate, Norwell, Duxbury, Kingston, Marshfield, Pembroke up to the Bridgewaters. Our specialists see patients from local area towns, as well as Cape Cod, Plymouth, Carver, up to Mansfield, and Brockton area towns. 

Child and Adolescent Health Specialists is proud to be affiliated with Affiliated Pediatric Practices. APP is a group of pediatricians who came together to share best practices and expertise to provide the highest quality care to children. This affiliation also allows us inside access to Specialists in the MGHfC and Partners Healthcare Network. We look forward to continuing to grow and improve with their expertise and our partnerships with our families. 

  • General Pediatrics and Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics
  • An inviting, child-friendly, state-of-the-art office environment
  • Convenient office hours Mon-Sat with early morning, evening and every Saturday appointments
  • Access to one of our pediatricians available 24/7 - Call our main number 781-383-8380 after hours or Holidays to reach the physician on call
  • Specialization in developmental, behavioral and mood disorders, and learning problems
  • Trained Healthcare Providers in Concussion Management and ImPACT testing
  • On-site behavioral health clinicians 
  • Referral and Cordination of patient healthcare needs by your Primary Care Physician, with appropriate area specialists
  • Lab, children's dentistry, adult medical and dental offices, and physical therapy in our building

Health Care Billing 101
Each year brings about changes in insurance coverage. Please review our Healthcare Billing 101 to understand how insurance billing works in our office. We want to make sure you aren't surprised to discover that you have to pay for your appointment because your insurance is not correct.

 

Please click on this link to read about our Privacy Practices

Please click on this link to read our Policy for Divorced Parents/Custody Issues.

Our Affiliations

Our doctors are pleased to be on the staff of South Shore Hospital as well as members of the Affiliated Pediatric Practices with  Mass General  Brigham Hospital. South Shore Hospital is the largest and most comprehensive health care facility in the region. Additionally, our doctors will coordinate care with Massachusetts General Hospital for Children, Boston Children’s Hospital, and Tufts Medical Center and other appropriate specialists for additional subspecialty services.

 

Office Hours

(Hours subject to change)
Monday: 8:00am – 5:00pm
Tuesday: 8:00am – 5:30pm
Wednesday: 8:00am – 5:30pm
Thursday: 8:00am – 5:30pm
Friday: 8:00am – 5:30pm
Saturday: 8:00am – 12:00pm

Summer Office Hours

(Hours subject to change)
Monday: 8:00am – 5:00pm
Tuesday: 8:00am – 5:00pm
Wednesday: 8:00am – 5:00pm
Thursday: 8:00am – 6:00pm
Friday: 8:00am – 5:00pm
Saturday: 8:00am – 12:00pm