Pediatric Care During COVID-19
Wellstar is committed to helping children stay healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Count on our dedicated healthcare team to keep your child in safe, expert hands.
COVID-19 Vaccine: Children Ages 5 to 11
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use authorization for children ages 5 to 11 years old. Now, anyone age 5 and older is eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
Certain immunocompromised children ages 5 to 11 may now receive a third primary series dose. Young people ages 12 and older can also get their booster, as well. Learn more.
Getting vaccinated is an important way to protect your child’s health during the pandemic, especially as new variants of the virus emerge.
Wellstar will be offering COVID-19 vaccines for children ages 5 to 11 years old. For more information or to book a vaccine appointment, contact your child’s Wellstar pediatrician.
You can also schedule a COVID-19 vaccine for your child at your local retail pharmacy or visit vaccines.gov to find a convenient vaccination site close to you.
Pediatric COVID-19 Testing
As new variants of the virus emerge and spread, parents may be worried about their child’s health and possible COVID-19 exposure.
Before you take your child for a COVID-19 test, it’s important to know the proper location for their medical circumstance.
Know Where to Go
If you are concerned your child may have been exposed to COVID-19 and is:
- Asymptomatic (showing no symptoms): Find a local COVID-19 testing site near you.
- Showing mild to moderate symptoms: Contact your Wellstar pediatrician’s office directly to determine the appropriate location to receive care.
- Experiencing severe symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, persistent high fever, unable to keep liquids down, lethargy, or severe gastrointestinal symptoms: Seek immediate medical care at the nearest pediatric emergency department.
Choose the Right Location
Take your child to the right location for their medical circumstance.
For more information about the types of testing offered at Wellstar, visit our main COVID-19 testing page.
If you, your child or a loved one has been diagnosed or exposed to COVID-19, we encourage families to follow the CDC's recommended guidelines for quarantine or isolation, especially for school-aged children.
Keeping Your Child Safe
The best protection against COVID-19 is prevention and stopping community spread.
Young children who are not eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine are counting on the community to take action and get vaccinated. Be sure you and your family members who are age five and up get the COVID-19 vaccine.
Parents can also help protect their child’s health by teaching them the 3Ws — wear a mask, wash your hands and watch your distance.
Learn how you can make well happen.
For more health tips, visit our COVID-19 resource page.
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Highlights
COVID-19: Caring for Children
Wellstar is committed to providing the best and safest care possible to children. Across our health parks, pediatric offices, pediatric emergency departments and dedicated pediatric center, we’ve put extra precautions in place to prevent the spread of infections such as COVID-19 so children can thrive.
When it comes to pediatric surgery, we are committed to providing safe care. Therefore, each child will receive a pre-op COVID-19 test, and we’ve developed this helpful resource for parents so they know what they and their child can expect.
Keeping Kids Calm & Engaged
We understand many children may be going through a difficult time during the COVID-19 pandemic, and many may experience anxiety and stress—especially if they can’t visit a loved one in the hospital. Wellstar has created some talking points for parents to help them explain to children why they must not visit at this time.
Additionally, if parents are struggling to keep kids feeling connected during the pandemic, our pediatric experts have developed these great ideas for engaging kids at home.
Kids & COVID-19
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), children are as likely as adults to contract COVID-19. Some children — especially those with underlying medical conditions — can get severely ill from COVID-19 and may require hospitalization.
The key to slowing the spread of COVID-19 is to limit contact as much as possible. While adults make up the majority of COVID-19 cases, children may be asymptomatic and may pass the virus to others. Children should have limited interaction with higher-risk individuals, such as older adults and those with underlying medical conditions.
If your children may be experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, contact your healthcare provider and keep your children at home and away from others as much as possible.
Newsroom
Wellstar Health System Opens Pediatric COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics to Enthusiastic Community Response
Wellstar Health System has opened two pediatric COVID-19 vaccination centers following the United States Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) of the COVID vaccine for existing Wellstar pediatric patients aged 5 to 11. Wellstar began offering COVID vaccinations for children under age 12 the weekend of Nov. 5 and quickly filled more than 100 vaccination appointments on the first day. To date, nearly 2,000 appointments have been scheduled through January 2022. The Wellstar pediatric COVID vaccination sites are currently located at the East Cobb and Acworth Health Parks, and parents and caregivers are encouraged to schedule a vaccination appointment with their children’s pediatrician.
“During the COVID pandemic, Wellstar has remained dedicated to protecting our practitioners, patients, and the children of our communities,” said Dr. Avril Beckford, chief pediatric officer for Wellstar Health System. “We are incredibly excited by the high demand and interest in pediatric vaccinations and proud of the families who have taken the important step to vaccinate their children to offer some of our youngest patients protection against COVID.”
Wellstar’s COVID pediatric vaccination clinics include waiting rooms for families to relax in while their children are vaccinated. In addition, parents can also schedule follow-up visits, including the second vaccine dose and other important immunizations while waiting.
“I decided to get my two children ages five and seven vaccinated,” said Hunter Carlson, executive director of Health Parks and Pediatric Center for Wellstar Health System. “The kids had a great time and enjoyed interacting with the physicians and staff. In addition to wearing masks, the vaccine will give my children and family an extra layer of protection against the disease.”
The best protection against COVID-19 is prevention, vaccination and stopping community spread. Be sure you and your family members who are age five and up get the COVID-19 vaccine. Parents can also help protect their children’s health by teaching them the 3Ws—wear a mask, wash your hands and watch your distance.
For more health tips and information on how to schedule pediatric vaccinations, visit our Pediatric Care During COVID-19 page.
Highlights
Meeting Milestones with Wellstar’s Pediatricians
As children prepare for the new school year, one step families can take to stay healthy is to head to the pediatrician for an annual check-up.
Regular pediatric check-ups are beneficial for the whole family. Together, you can discuss your child’s development, behavior, eating habits, sleep schedule and any other concerns you may have about their health. Because you and your child share the same goal — staying healthy and happy — your Wellstar pediatrician will partner with you both.