COVID-19 Information
Checking in to Your Visit
All patients may now enter the waiting room to check in, without calling beforehand from your car. Please continue to wear a mask while inside the office.
If you would prefer to wait in your car before your visit, you can still call the front desk to check in, at 781-356-6200 ext.105.
Testing
- Are you testing in your office?
- We offer PCR testing to all patients in our practice, who have active viral symptoms and/or a close contact with COVID-19.
- Elective Testing (for those without symptoms or a close contact; e.g. for travel):
- We offer elective testing for a fee, as most health insurance providers do not reimburse for elective COVID-19 testing. Please call our office for more details.
- There are free sites available for COVID-19 testing, specifically the Stop the Spread sites offered by the state. Please see the general testing resources below for more information.
- How do I get my test results?
- Our office processes COVID-19 PCR tests in-house, with a turnaround time of approximately 40 minutes. You can view your child’s test results in Patient Gateway, and they are not visible to us any sooner than they appear in your child’s chart.
- If you are not yet enrolled in Patient Gateway, please call our office to enroll.
- General testing resources and testing sites:
- Get Tested MA!: An excellent resource from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, including test site locations, and information about the different types of available tests.
- COVIDtests.gov: Free rapid antigen testing kits for households
- COVID-19 Testing for Childcare: A great resource in Braintree with free PCR testing for children who are in childcare and their families.
- CIC Health: Another good resource for families living closer to Boston, with generally fast turnaround times
- List of testing sites specific to the City of Boston
- Search page for testing sites in MA. Select “Show Advanced Filters” to filter sites that do/do not test children.
- What kind of test should I get?
- If you are getting tested due to symptoms, or due to exposure to someone with COVID-19, we recommend PCR testing rather than rapid antigen testing. The former is a much more accurate test than the latter.
- Read more about testing for COVID-19 here.
Vaccines
The physicians at Milton Pediatrics support the positions of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Centers for Disease Control that the COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective, and an important part of the nation-wide strategy to combat COVID-19.
If you have questions about the COVID vaccine, please visit our COVID-19 Vaccine Resources & FAQs page for reliable, evidence-based information.
- Go to https://vaxfinder.mass.gov/ to find a vaccination site near you. For general information, please visit Massachusetts’s Vaccination Website and our vaccine resources & FAQs page.
- The FDA has authorized the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines for individuals ages 6 months and above. We encourage people of all eligible ages to be vaccinated as soon as it is available to them. Studies have consistently shown the vaccines to be highly effective and to pose minimal risks, and the CDC and AAP continue to recommend all eligible children and teenagers get vaccinated.
- Many people are asking important questions about the COVID-19 vaccines, including our patients, our doctors, and our staff. We thought it would be helpful to provide a vaccine resources & FAQs page with reliable information to help answer these questions. Of course, if you have individual concerns or questions, we encourage you to speak with your primary care provider.
- Please see this update for details regarding which vaccines we offer in our office
Mental Health Resources
This is a very disruptive and stressful time for our families, and we have seen a significant increase in mental health issues. We have put together a list of resources to help you navigate these concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic. If you have immediate concerns about your child’s mental health and feel he/she is in imminent danger, please call 911 or our office emergency line.
- Child Mind Institute
- COVID-19 Parenting Resources (CDC)
- The Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds (MGH)
- Handhold (targeted to families with kids age 6-12 years)
- COVID-19 resources for families and children (MGH)
- Return to School During COVID-19 (healthychildren.org | AAP)
Other Resources
- Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE)
- Eye health is important with increasing screen time (AAP)
- Good handwashing techniques (CDC)