This weekend, I had a conversation with a friend about their new baby. They wanted to know what my recommendation is for their child’s well-checks. The big question is this, “Do we keep our child’s appointment, or are we risking exposing our family to a greater sickness by going?”
This is one of the main questions and concerns we are currently receiving. Should patients keep their scheduled appointments, or reschedule them “until this thing passes”?
If I truly believed that this virus would be gone at the end of this month, I would absolutely recommend waiting just a few more weeks. But here is the reality– we are not going to see Coronavirus go away next week or next month. Rather, based on the evidence we have, this is going to be around for the foreseeable future… easily the next one to two years until there is a safe vaccine available for those who have not already had it and recovered from it at that point.
So, what does that mean for these appointments? Based on the recommendation of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the CDC, I recommend maintaining your well-child appointments. During these visits, I have my best opportunity to assess each child to be sure they are progressing and growing properly. If they are due for vaccinations, then we can keep them healthy by protecting them against vaccine-preventable illnesses.
Part of our mission as a clinic is:
“TO EMPOWER families’ capacities to address and prevent illness and injury from birth to young adulthood, as well as TO ADVOCATE for each child’s maximum potential by identifying needs, providing solutions, AND GUIDE them in their journey for optimal health outcomes.”
During this time of uncertainty, Compass Pediatrics will maintain our mission to prioritize the health and safety of your family and our community. In doing that, we will be here as a resource for your family’s health needs.
- We will continue to offer Telemedicine visits for appropriate visit types to minimize traffic in our office.
- We will continue to maintain a high level of cleanliness with consistent and heightened cleaning procedures.
- We will stay up to date with the most recent evidence and recommendations from reliable resources.
We are here for you! Join us for a Q&A on Instagram and Facebook with Dr. Huitink to have your questions addressed!