COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Update
In light of the Coronavirus, for the safety of patients and their families, walk-in appointments will not be accepted. Please call for urgent appointments.
Vaccine Update – April 19, 2023
FOR OUR PATIENTS 6 MONTHS THROUGH 4 YEARS OF AGE
The FDA has approved and the CDC recommends a COVID bivalent booster dose.
Children are eligible if:
1. The first 3 doses in the series were the monovalent vaccine AND
2. It has been at least 2 months since the last COVID vaccine AND
3. It has been at least 3 months since a COVID infection.
To schedule an appointment you can do so on the Mychart App or by calling our office at 510-792-4373
If you are not sure which vaccine your child received, please feel free to send us a Mychart message so that we can verify if a booster dose is recommended.
South East Bay Pediatrics has the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for our patients 6 months through 4 years old, 5-11 years old and 12 years and older. Consistent with CDC and AAP recommendations, we highly encourage vaccination for patients 6 months and older. Please contact our office to schedule an appointment, or if you have any questions about the vaccine. Additional information about the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine can also be found in these fact sheets:
Fact Sheet for Recipients and Caregivers, children ages 6 months through 4 years
Fact Sheet for Recipients and Caregivers, children ages 5-11
Fact Sheet for Recipients and Caregivers, children ages 12 and older
Vaccine Update – December 20, 2021
We continue to vaccinate all children age 5 and up for COVID, and against influenza. The influenza and covid vaccines can be given together in our outpatient clinic if desired.
Details about boosters for patients 16 and older
Details about vaccines for 5-11-year-olds, including instructions to schedule appointments
South East Bay Pediatrics is well aware of the spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and is taking appropriate steps to protect both our patients and staff. Please review our updated policies below.
Per California State requirements, every business must have a Site-Specific Protection Plan covering details of their processes to increase sanitization, protect employees, and maintain social distancing best practices among employees and clients. Our plan is posted at our practice, but feel free to review here before you arrive.
It is extremely important to contact us BEFORE coming to our office if your child is experiencing symptoms including fever, cough, or shortness of breath AND you know they have been exposed to the COVID-19 virus either by travel to an area of risk (China, Iran, Italy, South Korea, or Japan) within the last 14 days or by contact with someone known to be infected with COVID019 within the last 14 days. This will allow us to advise you on the best course of action for your child.
South East Bay Pediatrics is pleased to offer video appointments with patients for urgent/acute issues as an alternative to in-person visits. During the Shelter in Place orders, these video visits allow consultations with your doctor for patients who may not necessarily need to be seen physically in the office. Please call our office if you would like to schedule a video visit with your physicians.
We are touched and honored for the masks and protective equipment donations our office has received from our wonderful families. Thank you very much for your kindness and generosity! We wish you all the best of health and stay safe!
Protective equipment continues to be in short supply globally. We are gratefully accepting donations of any new unused masks (N95, surgical, or isolation). Masks must be unused and in unopened boxes. Thank you very much!
Official health resources
Recommendations are evolving. Please review the latest recommendations by looking at the CDC website and/or the local public health departments depending on your country of residence (Alameda County or Santa Clara County).
Keeping your family healthy
The best way to prevent infection is to avoid being exposed to the virus. Here are a few other things you can do to keep your family healthy and help prevent the spread of COVID-19:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use hand sanitizer. Look for one that is 60% or higher alcohol-based.
- Keep your kids away from others who are sick or keep them home if they are ill.
- Teach kids to cough and sneeze into a tissue (make sure to throw it away after each use!) or to cough and sneeze into their arm or elbow, not their hands.
- Clean and disinfect household objects and surfaces in your home.
- Avoid touching your face; teach your children to do the same.
- Avoid travel to highly infected areas.
New policies, effective June 18, 2020
During this unprecedented time with the Coronavirus pandemic, SEBPMG values the health and safety of all patients, staff, and doctors. Measures are in place to try and limit exposure for all individuals. South East Bay Pediatrics has been implementing measures to reduce the threat of infection to protect our patients and their families. These measures are intended to limit contact between patients, to facilitate social distancing, and to keep our office as safe and sanitary as possible for all patients. We anticipate that these measures will continue to evolve as the Coronavirus landscape changes. We will keep you updated of these changes. At the current time, we ask that you adhere to the following policies and measures:
- Effective March 10, 2020 the 8 AM Drop-In Clinic has been suspended until further notice.
- If you need to make an appointment, call our office. Walk-ins are not accepted at any time. If you walk in without an appointment, you will be asked to return to your car and call our office to allow us to do proper screening and provide you the appropriate appointment to protect you and others.
- As of June 18, to align with the California Public Health Department mandate, caregivers and patients 2 years of age and older need to wear a mask or face covering in the office. Masks are not recommended for children under 2 years of age.
- Consistent with current AAP recommendations, we likewise value the importance of routine well checks for our patients. We are offering well-checks to all patients of all ages who are due for their routine physicals, not just those patients who need vaccinations. Routine well-checks are important visits that address growth and development, anticipatory guidance, chronic medical problems, and health questions families may have. We do understand that families may decide to delay their child’s well-check during these unprecedented times. However we do have measures in place to reduce risk of exposure in our office and we would be happy to see you if your child is due for a routine physical.
- We are also offering video visits to discuss non-urgent problems and to address ongoing medical concerns or chronic issues. Please call our office to see if it is appropriate to have a video visit for your child.
- It is still very important for certain patients to continue to be seen for their routine well-check appointments in order to receive vaccines. In order to protect all patients and their families:
- All well-check appointments are being scheduled for the morning and early afternoon only.
- Well-checks will also be restricted to specific rooms in the office in order to minimize transmission of infections. No sick visits are being scheduled in the morning unless there is an emergency.
- Vaccines will also be given in the patient’s rooms to minimize contact even between well patients.
- All physicians and staff with patient contact will be wearing masks.
- We do ask that you limit the number of people accompanying your child to their appointment, especially other children. We ask that only one parent or caregiver accompany your child for their appointment for the safety of everyone. No siblings should accompany the patient. Unfortunately grandparents, a high risk population for severe disease, will not be allowed into exam rooms for their own safety.
- No sick family members should come into the office.
- If you are scheduled for a routine well-check but your child develops a cold, runny nose, congestion, cough, sore throat, and/or fever, please call us right away before coming to your appointment.
- If the parent/guardian accompanying the patient develops a cold, runny nose, congestion, cough, sore throat, and/or fever, please call us right away before coming to your appointment.
- We are currently offering sick same-day video visits far patients who wish to be evaluated but may not necessarily need to be seen in-person in the office. Please call us if you would like to schedule a same-day video visit.
- Urgent sick visit appointments will only be offered in the afternoon. If your child has a cough, runny nose, congestion, sore throat and/or a fever 100.4 or higher and you wish your child evaluated, please call us in advance. For this appointment, you will be asked to wait in your car and call our office upon arrival in our parking lot. Once we are ready to bring you into the office, you will be met and escorted through a different entrance to minimize exposure to other patients. Patients and other family members accompanying them for the appointment should wear a mask if available. Sick patients without a mask will be given tissue to cover their mouth and nose. We do ask that you limit the number of people accompanying your child to their appointment. No sick family members should accompany your child to this appointment. This process will ensure that anyone who may pose a risk of infection remains at a safe distance from other patients in our waiting rooms. Staff and physicians who have contact with sick patients will be wearing personal protective equipment.
- Patients without symptoms can be checked in as per the usual procedure. Patients will be roomed as quickly as possible to minimize contact with other patients, even other patients without symptoms. If no room is immediately available, patients can wait in their cars until a room is ready. Leave us a phone number where we can reach you. Please make sure that you are ready to come in as soon as you are called.
- For any appointment, no matter your reason for the appointment, we request that you bring as few family members to the appointment as possible. This especially applies to other family members of any age who may be sick or ill, grandparents who are more vulnerable to the Coronavirus, and other family members with underlying chronic medical problems.
- Due to supply shortages, we cannot offer masks to patients. All persons (patient and caregivers) 12 and older are required to wear a mask or face covering at all times. Patients 2-12 years of age are recommended to wear a mask or face covering.
- COVID-19 testing is available but there are currently limited resources to test extensively. We are currently only able to test patients at highest risk as defined by our local public health guidelines.