SERVICES

Our office provides:

Moderna Pediatric COVID-19 vaccines for 6 months – 5 years

Pfizer Pediatric COVID-19 vaccines 5-11 years

Pfizer COVID -19 vaccines for 12 years and older, including adults

The CDC now recommends that children 6 months and older receive the COVID-19 Vaccine. More information can be found at COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations for Children and Teens | CDC

Call 512-900-6055 or send us a portal message through the patient portal at https://15935.portal.athenahealth.com/ to make an appointment to receive the pediatric COVID-19 vaccine.

Please remember these appointments are for vaccine administration only to ensure short wait times for other patients. If you have any concerns about your child, our providers would be happy to see him or her at a regularly scheduled appointment. If you are already scheduled for a visit with a provider, we would be happy to offer the COVID-19 vaccine at that time for your child or any siblings present.

If you are interested in a “Drive Through” Vaccination appointment (and it is not raining), please indicate that you prefer to stay in your vehicle when you call to make a nurse visit appointment. When you arrive, please call to notify us when you are in the parking lot.

FLU VACCINES CAN BE ADMINISTERED ON THE SAME DAY AS RECEIVING THE COVID-19 VACCINE

COVID-19 PATIENT TESTIING:

At Wildflower Pediatrics, we continue to stay up to date on the latest recommendations on COVID-19 management, treatment, and testing. We are seeing improved accuracy with rapid antigen testing. As a result, we can provide rapid testing (10 minutes) at this time at an office visit but may encourage PCR testing in certain situations.

PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) tests for COVID-19 are FDA approved and more precise than rapid antigen testing. We are able to swab our patients for this kind of test and send them to an outside lab. The turnaround time for these tests for our practice is usually 1 day. At times it can take 2-3 days to get the results back if there has been a surge in testing and the lab gets back logged which has been rare these days. The costs for rapid and PCR tests are submitted to your insurance and are typically considered a covered cost or may go towards your deductible.

The American Academy of Pediatrics also recommends using PCR tests that have been approved by the FDA. Per the AAP, “Most antigen (rapid) tests that have received a Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment waiver have limited specificity and sensitivity and should not be used for routine clinical care. In addition, until experts learn more about SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, antibody testing is not routinely recommended and should not be used to make decisions about grouping people in classrooms or other facilities.”

We hope this information helps clarify the ongoing confusion regarding COVID-19 testing. We want to provide the best care possible when it comes to these issues. We have continued to keep our patients and staff safe during these unprecedented times.

COVID-19 PRACTICE SAFETY MEASURES

PLEASE understand that we are the front line for protecting your child (children) against COVID-19. We want all of our patients to avoid visits to urgent care clinics and hospital emergency rooms where the risk of exposure is much higher. We do not want you to be fearful of coming to our office. We are open Monday-Friday 8 am-4:30 pm and have implemented measures to ensure your family’s safety.

These measures include:

• Addition of Telemedicine appointments

• If you are registered with our portal, this is a great way to communicate with a provider or nurse (Instructions to register are on our website)

• Use of a pager system to allow you to wait in your car if desired until your appointment time begins

• Use of our back patio

• Use of an inside isolated patient room without entering through the front door of the clinic

• When necessary, Nurses and Providers wearing full protective personal equipment during sick visits

• Curbside assessments in our parking lot if desired

• Drive-by vaccines in our parking lot

• Limited toys available in waiting rooms and patient rooms with consistent sterilization of the clinic

Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or feedback you can provide during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are truly honored to care for every family at Wildflower Pediatrics!