>Halloween: The leaves are turning to the brilliant hues of the season, yellow, red, orange. The Fall season is here. Families are enjoying the fruits of the season with trips to our local farms for apple picking and with missions of finding the perfect pumpkin. The cumulation of the festivities at the end of the month is with Halloween. It is going to be different this year. It doesn’t mean it wont be FUN. Parents will need to bring their positivity and creativity to make this year memorable. The American Academy of Pediatrics has made some great recommendations:
AAP Halloween COVID Safety Tips
>COVID Testing: We only use Yale for COVID testing. They use the PCR method which is more reliable than the antigen testing done at Urgicenters. The turnaround for results vary. In order to make the process easier, you must set up your own YALE MY CHART account if not done so already. Then set up a proxy chart for your child. With this, you will have direct access to test results when they become available. If you need help setting up the proxy MY CHART, call 203 688 5101. If your child has symptoms (chills, fever, sore throat, runny nose, cough, loss of smell or taste, abdominal pain, vomiting, or diarrhea), we will first need to do a Telemedicine video visit prior to ordering a COVID test. For asymptomatic patients, pre-procedure patients or patients exposed to COVID without symptoms, we will put the order into the Yale EPIC ordering system. Unless we tell you a specific time, please wait 2 to 3 hours after the request was made to call the Yale hotline 203 688 1700, to schedule the test.
>The Flu Vaccine: We have been so pleased by the increased number of families getting the flu vaccine early this year. It’s not too late!! We have been offering the flu vaccine to every child 6 months and older at their physical exam appointment. We are also offering it to patients with no fever who are seen in the office for an Acute visit. If you would like to have your child receive the flu vaccine outside of these visits, please call as soon as possible. We will allow multiple children per family to be booked together for flu shot visits. We have certain protocols in place to make the visit a quick and easy one. Our goal is to get as many children as possible vaccinated before the start of the flu season which is now round the corner
>Allergy Protocols: If your child has an allergy that requires an EpiPen, we may have filled out a protocol this year. This will not be the case going forward. We have provided you a list of allergists in the area. Please make those first appointments with your new allergist as soon as possible.
>Parking: In order to provide easy access to the parking lot, our staff and providers park in the back two rows. This makes all spots closest to the building available to our families. Please park on the side or in the first two rows in the parking lot.
>Masks: We are following CDC mask guidelines. Anyone 2 years and older must wear a mask. The masks that are permitted in the office are disposable surgical or 2 ply cotton masks. Masks with valves, gaiters and bandanas will not be permitted in the office. These masks are not protective to the user or to others.
>Our Name Change: We are Branford Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine now. It is a slow process on getting it changed on our letterhead, envelopes and forms. If you see the old name on a document or letter, don't worry. We are still the nice people in the old white house with black shutters.