Just like you, new mom Alexis Thompson is raising a child during a pandemic. And while dozens of to-dos may cross her mind every day, whether to take her baby boy in for his routine immunizations during COVID-19 was a big question mark.
Understandably, Alexis – who co-hosts “Jason and Alexis in the Morning” on local radio station myTalk 107.1 – was extremely anxious. She knew her son was due for his 4-month-old shots. She knew the importance of staying on track with his vaccination schedule. But she didn’t know if it was safe to go to a health care clinic right now.
She made the decision to bring her son in. And when she arrived at her local HealthPartners clinic, her anxiety melted away.
“I was so anxious. But once I got to the clinic, I felt a lot better,” Alexis said. “The clinicians kept everyone a safe distance apart, and things went much smoother than expected. I’m so glad my son was able to get the care he needed.”
Our goal is to make every well-child visit and immunization-only appointment go as smoothly as Alexis’s experience – pandemic or no pandemic. Learn more about the steps we’re taking to keep you and your child as safe as possible when you come into one of our clinics.
You don’t need to delay your child’s immunizations
Childhood vaccination schedules are designed for young immune systems, helping to protect them from preventable diseases like tetanus, HPV, polio, measles, meningitis and whooping cough as early and as safely as possible. That’s why it’s so important to stay on schedule – even during COVID-19.
But we know that you may feel a lot like Alexis did. We hear you and we’re here for you.
You don’t need to delay care. Now and always, the health and well-being of our patients is our top priority.
What you can expect when you walk into one of our clinics
We’ve taken steps to implement several additional safety measures to help reduce the chances of COVID-19 spreading and make it safer for everyone to get care.
Rigorous cleaning and disinfecting protocols at our clinics are just the beginning. We’ve also:
- Added video visits for a range of services, including pediatric care to help ensure kids have access to the care and support they need, while reducing the number of visitors to our clinics. For example, through pediatric video visits we’re able to treat a variety of conditions, including ear pain, allergies, rashes, mental health concerns and more.
- Opened kids-only appointment hours on Saturdays at several clinics to help make visits both immunization-only appointments and well-child visits easy, fast and as safe as possible.
- Implemented wellness screenings as patients schedule their appointments and as soon as they arrive at the clinic.
- Updated clinic layouts and traffic flows to allow for better social distancing.
- Mandated the wearing of masks for all staff, patients and visitors – we even provide you with a mask if you don’t have one.
Our team of infectious disease experts have been working tirelessly to help guide our work and ensure we’re following the best, most up-to-date safety protocols at all of our locations. Learn more about the COVID-19 clinic and hospital safety measures we have in place.
Are there any reasons for my child not to get routine vaccinations during COVID-19?
The COVID-19 pandemic on its own shouldn’t prevent your child from getting the immunizations and care they need – unless of course you, your child or someone in your household is experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. However, if you have questions and concerns, talk with your child’s doctor. They’re here for you.
When we talk about vaccinations in general, the answer is yes – there are times when some children should not get certain vaccines or they should wait to get vaccinated.
For example, if your child has had an allergic reaction after a previous dose of certain vaccines or if they have any severe, life-threatening allergy, your child’s doctor may recommend not getting or postponing a specific vaccination. Or if your child is moderately or severely ill – with a high fever and a cough, for example – your child’s doctor will likely advise you to wait on vaccinations until they recover.
It’s also important to note that recommendations on when to forgo or delay a vaccination is unique to each vaccine; every vaccine has its own guidelines. So, if you have questions about whether your child should or shouldn’t have specific vaccines, we strongly encourage you to talk with your child’s doctor. They can talk with you about your child’s medical and immunization history, give you more information on specific vaccines and why they’re recommended, and listen to any concerns and answer any questions you may have.
Don’t delay: Easy, fast and safe care for your child is here
The health and well-being of you, your child and all patients is our top priority. And in the face of COVID-19 we’ve added additional safety measures and appointment scheduling options to help ensure getting important care like immunizations is as easy, fast and as safe as possible.
You don’t need to delay important care. Now and always, we’re here for you. Learn more about our well-child visit and immunization-only appointment options during COVID-19.