News & Announcements

Coronavirus Update

12/17/2023
 
UPDATED

Use the CDC's COVID Vaccine "Up To Date" page to find out if your child is considered "up to date" with their COVID vaccinations. The updated bivalent booster covering the Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 can be given to children 6 months and older (depending on the specific vaccine) at least 5 months after the final dose of their primary series or 2 months after a booster dose.  There are different recommendations based on a patient's age and vaccine product they have received. Click the button "Find Out When to Get a Booster" for the specific recommendations for your child.

If your child or you have tested positive for COVID, use the CDC's Quarantine and Isolation Tracker to get the most up to date info on how long you should isolate and/or quarantine. It also has info on when and if to test/re-test in specific scenarios. 

Search Vaccine.gov for zip code based locations where you or your child can receive the COVID vaccine.

As a medical facility, we are still requiring masks for those 2 years and older who present to our office.  Please see our policy on mask exemptions.

On May 20, 2022 the CDC recommended a booster dose of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children 5-11 years of age and a second booster for immunocompromised patients age 12 and older.  The booster dose is approved for use at least 5 months after the 2nd dose of the vaccine.  If a child tests positive for COVID near the time of their planned booster dose, then they should wait until their isolation period ends and their symptoms are improved before getting the dose. You may consider delaying the vaccine dose by 3 months. Getting a COVID-19 vaccine after recovering from a COVID-19 infection provides added protection from future COVID-19 exposures. 


We are continuing to offer both Rapid COVID antigen testing and COVID PCR testing at our office for patients being seen for a sick appointment. 

As of May 2021, the CDC provided clearance for the COVID vaccine to be given along with other vaccines. Therefore, COVID-19 and other vaccines can be given together without regard to timing.

Check out the CDC Guidelines When You've Been Vaccinated for updated exposure recommendations after a person is considered fully vaccinated (>2 weeks after their final vaccine dose).


See these additional links for important office related COVID-19 related information:

Coronavirus Symptom Checker provides recommended actions and resources for various COVID related situations

COVID-19 Scenarios addresses the most common questions we are receiving about COVID-19

Click MIS-C to learn what we currently know and when to be concerned

When can my child return to daycare, school, work, etc? See how our doctors will determine whether your child is cleared to return to public activities.

Please view our procedure for in-office evaluation of patients with symptoms possibly related to COVID.

Click the link for specific information on COVID testing in the state of Maryland.



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Below are links to both national and local resources for helpful and up to date information on COVID-19.  These links are regular updated by the hosting organizations.

COVID-19 Vaccine Information (CDC)

CDC Coronavirus Disease 2019

US Food and Drug Administration COVID-19 Testing Basics

Coronavirus--Maryland State Dept of Health

University of Maryland Coronavirus Update 

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Johns Hopkins Medicine

Howard County Health Dept COVID-19


Should you have any questions that are not answered by the resources above, feel free to call our office or contact us via electronic message using the patient portal.  Please remember to always call the office for urgent issues as messages on the patient portal are not routinely checked when we are closed.

(Originally created 07/09/2020)
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