Tis the season for flu vaccine! We’ve always been big supporters of flu vaccine & with COVID-19 having so many similar symptoms as seasonal flu, vaccination is even more important! You can read more on vaccinating children for seasonal flu here but here are some key items you need to know:
- Flu vaccine is recommend for ages 6 months and over.
- We typically vaccinate with Fluzone, a quadrivalent preservative free flu vaccine.
- Children 6 months thru age 8 years being vaccinated with flu vaccine for the first time (never had flu vaccine before OR have previously only gotten one dose) need a booster dose. Booster doses are spaced at least 4 weeks (28 days) apart.
- Flu vaccine is safe for individuals with minor egg allergies. If your egg-allergic child is able to tolerate baked egg containing products & has never experienced allergic symptoms other than hives, he/she is able to receive flu vaccine.
- Flu vaccine usually takes about 2 weeks to provide protection.
Access to Flu Vaccine
Appointments are now available! We know flu vaccine will be in high demand over the next several months, so here’s how we’re offering vaccination to our patient population:
Flu clinics
Appointments are required & should be scheduled via MyChart – please pay attention to which site you schedule for (Woburn or North Andover)! If you need assistance setting up MyChart accounts, please call the office.
Scheduled well visits
If your child has a scheduled well visit, eligible children may receive flu vaccine at their appointment. If you would like to bring a sibling along for their flu vaccination, please call ahead so that we can enter those appointments ahead of time.
Nurse visit
Some patients may not be ideal candidates for flu clinics, so our nurses will be available on select weekdays for patients with severe developmental delays, history of fainting after vaccines, or those who are severely needle phobic. Appointments can be scheduled via MyChart or by calling the office.
Other local facilities
If the above options are not optimal for your family, there are many other local clinics offering vaccination. Check with pharmacies (Walgreens, CVS, Target, Stop & Shop, etc.), urgent care clinics (Carewell, AFC, Minute Clinic, etc.), and other facilities (local boards of health, schools, Passport Health) on their availability, what age they vaccinate, & what their hours are.
Visiting Us for a Flu Clinic
Our flu clinics look a bit different since COVID, but we are committed to optimizing our space, time, and staffing to vaccinate our patients.
Pre-Clinic Instructions:
- If you or your child has any symptoms of COVID-19, or has tested positive in the last 10 days, we kindly ask that you reschedule your flu clinic appointment. Those w/ minor runny noses testing negative for COVID are able to be vaccinated with flu vaccine.
- Please observe your flu clinic appointment time. In the past we were able to be much more flexible with clinic appointment times, but we must be more thoughtful during COVID-19.
During the Clinic:
- Every adult and child over 2 years should wear a mask or face covering throughout their visit to our office.
- Please observe office signage. Traffic will flow one way – check in at the front as usual and continue around the semi circle to exit out the back door.
Follow Up & Post Clinic Instructions:
- Children 6 months thru age 8 years being vaccinated with flu vaccine for the first time (never had flu vaccine before OR have previously only gotten one dose) need a booster dose. Booster doses are spaced at least 4 weeks (28 days) apart & these appointments can be scheduled with our nurses.
- You can obtain a copy of your vaccines via MyChart should you need to provide documentation to schools or other programming. Printable copies can be obtained by logging into MyChart on a desktop (rather than mobile device).