Opening our Waiting Room for All Visits

As RPA prepares for the much anticipated announcement from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to end the public health emergency on May 11th, we continue to assess and adapt our office policies as appropriate. The overall well-being of our patients and staff is always our first priority. RPA has continued to weigh the risks and benefits of fully opening our waiting room to all patients (both sick and well) vs. continuing the parking lot check-in process for sick patients.

Effective Monday, May 1st, we will fully open our waiting room to all patients (both sick and well) but will also continue to offer parking lot check-in via telephone and MyChart check-in to all patients. We highly encourage the MyChart option to check-in for all well visits (whether from the parking lot or the waiting room) so that all required questionnaires can be completed electronically before the office visit. If you prefer to wait in the parking lot rather than the waiting room, you can still call from your car to check-in and inform the staff that you prefer to be called into the office when your room is ready.

Our hope is to increase patient satisfaction by allowing all patients the opportunity to check-in and attend visits according to their individual comfort level. We will keep monitoring the situation and may revert back to parking lot check-in for sick patients during times of increased illness. Thank you for your patience and willingness to be flexible.

Should you have any questions or concerns with this new policy, please feel free to contact the office at 617-522-3100 and ask to speak with the Practice Administrator. Your feedback is always welcomed and appreciated.

Fluoride Varnish Applications

We are now offering fluoride varnish applications at your child’s well visit up until age 5. It is a quick and easy procedure to help protect your child’s teeth. Here is some information about how to take care of your child’s teeth and the effectiveness and safety of fluoride varnish:

Baby Teeth Care

Keep Your Child’s Smile Healthy

ADHD Medication Shortage

Unfortunately there has been a nationwide shortage of medications for ADHD, or stimulant medications. If you or your child is taking a stimulant medication, we highly recommend calling 7-10 days before you run out of it since it might take that long for it to be in stock again.

If you are running low and your pharmacy is out of stock please give us a call.

Bivalent COVID-19 vaccines for 6 months to 4 years

The FDA and CDC have approved the use of a bivalent vaccine in the 6 month through 4 year population.  There are different recommendations as to who is eligible depending on whether your child received the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine for the initial series.

Pfizer:  

If your child has COMPLETED the three-dose series with the Pfizer vaccine, they are NOT currently eligible for a bivalent booster dose.  There is research that will be available in January 2023 that will be used to guide if and when a booster with the bivalent vaccine would be recommended.

If your child has received DOSE 1 OR DOSE 2 of the three-dose series, it is recommended that the new, bivalent vaccine is used for DOSE 3 which would be given in accordance to the previously established time-line, 8 weeks after dose 2.

To clarify, the Pfizer bivalent vaccine for ages 6 months through 4 years is currently only being used for DOSE 3 of the three-dose series.

Moderna: 

If your child has COMPLETED the two-dose series with the Moderna vaccine, they are eligible for a Moderna bivalent vaccine 2 MONTHS after completing DOSE 2 of the primary series.  

These boosters are not interchangeable, so if your child received 2 doses of Moderna they can only receive the Moderna bivalent booster, and if they have had 2 doses of Pfizer, they can only receive the Pfizer bivalent 3rd dose.

We will continue to offer Pfizer vaccines at Roslindale Pediatrics. We have ordered the Pfizer bivalent vaccine for ages 6 months through 4 years and will notify you when the vaccine has arrived in the clinic.

As a reminder, you can search vaxfinder.mass.gov to find an available vaccine appointment for your child.

Respiratory Illness Information

We have been seeing a dramatic rise in respiratory illnesses from viruses now that the COVID19 restrictions have been lifted. The American Academy of Pediatrics has a few resources to help parents understand these viruses, how to help manage their children at home, and when to call to have them seen.

RSV - When it’s more than just a cold

COVID19 vs RSV vs FLU

CDC Symptom Length for Common Cold

Call us with any concerns and if you feel your child needs to be seen.

Similac Ready to Feed Formula Voluntary Recall

Abbott has a voluntary recall on 2 oz ready to feed formulas due to small amount of bottles not being properly sealed. Use this link to find out more information from the FDA. Below we have listed some of the lot numbers. If you have this formula please do not use.

If your child has consumed one of these products, there is a small chance it might lead to GI upset. If you have any concerns about symptoms please call our office.

2 oz Similac 360 Total care Advance

-Item Number 68708

-Bottle Lot number 39633N200

-Case/Bag Lot Number 420258H00

2 oz Similac 360 Total Care Sensitive

-Item Number 68711

-Bottle Lot Number 41843N200

-Case/Bag Lot Number 430328H00

COVID-19 Bivalent Booster for 5-11 year olds

The CDC and FDA have approved the COVID-19 Bivalent Vaccine for children 5 and older. It is recommended that everyone 5 and older receive the bivalent vaccine booster 2 months after their last vaccine or their last booster. It is NOT recommended for the 1st or 2nd dose in the COVID-19 series.

We will be offering the pfizer COVID-19 bivalent booster. Until we receive the vaccine we will not be offering a booster for age 5-11, as per CDC guidelines. Check back here for updates on when it will be available. If you had scheduled an appointment for the COVID-19 booster please call to reschedule for a time when it will be available.

Here is some more information on this new booster and the other recommended COVID-19 vaccines: COVID-19 vaccine CDC FAQ’s

FLU VACCINES AND COVID-19 BOOSTERS

It’s that time of the year again – Flu Vaccine time. We are in the process of planning our flu clinics, which will likely begin in a few weeks on the weekends. In the interim, if you are able to get your flu shot elsewhere, do not hesitate to do so. They are easily available through local pharmacies.

We are also hoping to provide COVID-19 booster shots, including the new bivalent vaccine, at upcoming clinics. We are recommending that those patients eligible for the new bivalent vaccine do get it. There are a few community based clinics going on as well, all listed on the vaxfinder website. The below clinic is in JP on Sept 16th:

https://vaxfinder.mass.gov/locations/jamaica-plain-ellis-childrens-pediatric-5-11-years-september-16-only/

Check back here and through the patient portal for updates on dates and availability for our clinics. If you are coming to our office for a visit, ask about the flu or COVID-19 vaccine, as we are often able to give them at visits. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we continue to try to get as many of our patients vaccinated as quickly as possible!

Product Recall - Magnesium CItrate Saline Laxative Oral Solution

We have been notified that there is a recall on the product below. If you have this please dispose of it and reach out to us to discuss alternative medications. You can also click the link below for more information and to find out about rebates.

·         Product Description: Magnesium Citrate Saline Laxative Oral Solution

·         Reason for Recall: Microbial testing identified the presence of Gluconacetobacter liquefaciens.  Immunocompromised patients, who consume this product, may be at increased risk for invasive infections caused by this organism that could lead to serious, life-threatening adverse health consequences

·         Full recall information is available here

·         At this time, alternatives to magnesium citrate for all indications must be considered.  One such alternative is Polyethylene Glycol-Electrolyte Solution (Miralax).

COVID-19 Vaccines for 6 month to 5 year old patients

We at Roslindale Pediatrics are excited about the FDA’s approval and the CDC’s recommendation for COVID-19 vaccinations for patients 6 months to 5 years old.

At the first possible opportunity, RPA ordered the COVID vaccine for our patients under 5 years. We continue to await shipment, which will not occur until the vaccine has been formally approved and recommended by the FDA and CDC. We anticipate that the vaccine will be shipped and available as soon as next week.

We have ordered the Pfizer vaccines, which is a 3 dose series. We chose Pfizer due to the efficacy data we currently have available.

We are currently offering vaccine clinics for this age group. You should have received a mychart message with information on how to sign up. If you are unable to come to one you can call to schedule a vaccine appointment, or if you are bringing in your child soon, we can give it at their next visit.    

We will continue to have vaccine clinics over the next several weeks in order to meet the needs of our patients. 

If you would like to have your child vaccinated at a vaccine site, please visit the mass.gov website with a link to the vaxfinder page and information about the vaccine. You can also read more about the vaccine for this age group on the CDC’s website here and through the American Academy of Pediatrics website here.