Many school districts will begin classes in less than a month. Pediatricians have reported seeing a decline in the number of children coming in for well visits, immunizations and sports physicals. In this WLTX interview, Dr. Caroline Webber, Lexington Medical Center pediatrician with Lexington Pediatric Practice, emphasizes the importance of visiting the doctor and ensures community members all precautions are in place to keep patients and their families safe.

Physician Practice Safety Precautions

Lexington Medical Center's physician network is taking many steps to keep staff and patients safe during medical visits. Staff and patients wear masks, temperatures are checked at the door, there are separate waiting areas for well visits and sick visits, appointments are staggered, seating is spread at least six feet apart in waiting rooms and extra cleaning is performed.

Immunizations

Children must have certain vaccines before attending school. Before kindergarten: chicken pox, as well as MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) and TDaP (tetanus, diptheria, pertussis - a.k.a. whooping cough) boosters. Middle schoolers need tetanus and whooping cough boosters.

The Flu Shot

Unfortunately, this year we'll battle both COVID-19 AND the flu. That makes it even more important for your child to have a flu shot— offering protection from that virus.

Masks

Talk to your children about masks before school starts and have the practice wearing masks. Remind children that school will not feel or look normal this year, at least for awhile. But the things that are different are there to keep everyone healthy and safe.

Safety at Home

When children come home from school, they should wash their hands. They can also consider changing their clothes or taking a shower. But Dr. Webber adds that she would not have major concerns about children in school bringing COVID-19 home. We know that COVID-19 is less common in children, and children who do contract the virus tend to have less severe symptoms or be asymptomatic.