During the COVID-19 pandemic, some families decided to forgo regular, in-person checkups with their children’s doctor and other healthcare professionals over concerns about the risk of infection.
The Hawaiʻi State Department of Health (DOH) is encouraging parents to resume checkups for children to protect their health with much needed well-child and dental visits, including screenings, dental checkups, and vaccinations.
Regular checkups not only track children’s development, but also identify any health problems early to avoid complications and more costly treatment.
We asked Dr. Vinson Diep, FAAP, a pediatrician at Kapiʻolani Medical Center for Women & Children, to answer some common questions about taking your children in for regular checkups and what safety precautions are in place at doctor’s offices.
Q: It’s been almost two years since COVID-19 hit Hawaiʻi and some parents have not taken their children to the doctor for fear of infection. What problems can that cause?
Dr. Diep: One of the most important roles that pediatricians serve is to help protect against diseases through immunizations. Missing routine well-child checks, especially early on in a child’s life, means missing these essential vaccines. Pediatricians are also trained to detect early developmental delays, which is more difficult to do through a telehealth or virtual visit. Primary care pediatricians also function as the “medical home” for patients, which means helping to coordinate care with specialty providers if necessary, so these routine appointments help us check-in with the family and ensure they are getting the appropriate services.
Q: Why is it important now to resume regular keiki checkups?
Dr. Diep: Aside from immunizations and monitoring developmental milestones, regular keiki check-ups also allow for routine screenings, such as hearing and vision, blood pressure, and puberty/growth. We have also seen that the mental health of children, especially the preadolescents and adolescents, has been tremendously affected by the COVID pandemic. Regular check-ups help us to identify and discuss these concerns with our patients and families and refer to behavioral health providers if necessary.
Q: What steps will doctors typically take to ensure safety during the checkups?
Dr. Diep: While I can’t speak for all offices, most if not all doctors have spaced out patient appointments in order to prevent a lot of people from having to sit in a crowded waiting room. We also have appropriate PPE and conduct daily sanitization procedures and sanitize rooms in between patients too. For those who are COVID positive or have COVID exposures, telehealth/virtual visits are offered in order to check-in to see how our patients are doing which also protects other families coming into the office.
Q: What precautions can parents take?
Dr. Diep: If there is a positive COVID test or close contact/exposure and the child has a well-child check coming up, parents should call the provider’s office to notify them. Otherwise, there are no special precautions necessary other than routine hand hygiene and masking.
Q: What should parents ask their doctors after a break in checkups?
Dr. Diep: Parents should ask about if there are any vaccinations they need to catch up on, and general questions or concerns they may have.
Q: Should parents ask about vaccinations?
Dr. Diep: Yes! The data has shown that there are no contraindications for simultaneous administrations of the COVID vaccine with the other routine childhood immunizations, and that immunizations are safe and effective.
Q: Any other advice or suggestions about keiki checkups?
Dr. Diep: Most if not all pediatric offices follow the standard timeline for well-child checks, and it is still extremely important to have routine appointments with the pediatrician. Parents should know that we try to make our offices just as safe as their own home. We look forward to catching up with our patients and families and enjoy watching our patients grow.
For more information on keiki healthcare resources, visit KeikiCheckup.com.
Denby Fawcett: Why So Few People Are Getting The New Covid Shot
Experts are worried about the lack of interest as people are still suffering from the virus and long Covid. By Denby Fawcett Original article on Civil Beat, November 7, 2023 I keep a card in my [...]
Federal Public Health Emergency (PHE) for COVID-19 ends on May 11, 2023
HONOLULU, HI –The federal Public Health Emergency (PHE) for COVID-19, declared under Section 319 of the Public Health Service Act, will expire at the end of the day on May 11, 2023. As the PHE [...]
Seniors now eligible for additional COVID-19 bivalent booster dose, COVID vaccine recommendations simplified
HONOLULU, HI – The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) supports the latest recommendations announced yesterday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), allowing an additional dose of the bivalent booster against the virus [...]
Hawai‘i COVID-19 hospitalizations on the rise
HONOLULU, HI – The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) reports a rise in the rate of COVID-19 hospitalizations. The number of total positive COVID-19 hospitalizations has increased over the past week (3/26 – 4/4) from [...]
Wastewater Samples Show Higher COVID Concentrations & New Subvariant
The Hawai‘i State Department of Health’s most recent Wastewater Surveillance Report documents two significant developments about COVID-19 in Hawai‛i. Higher concentrations of the virus that causes COVID-19 The arrival of the XBB.1.5 subvariant Higher concentrations [...]
Bivalent boosters for keiki as young as 6 months
Updated COVID-19 bivalent boosters are now available in all counties for keiki as young as six months of age. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) amended the emergency use authorization for the bivalent boosters [...]