COVID Testing information
Steps for COVID Testing of Rady Children’s Patients:
- Fill out Rady’s COVID online registration form that is available at www.Radycovidtestingform.org
- After completion, a Rady Children’s representative will contact you to schedule an appointment within 48 hours.
- Please do not arrive for testing if you have not been scheduled for an appointment.
- Please bring your Record ID with you on the day of scheduled testing for easy look up.
- If there is an urgent need for testing, email [email protected] or call 858-966-6776.
- After completing registration, you may receive an email to sign up for MyChart. Please follow the prompts to complete the process. MyChart will allow you to access your results as soon as they become available.
- Positive results will be called to the phone number you provide at registration.
Where the Specimen Is Collected:
Swabbing Testing & Vaccine Clinic
8001 Frost Street Parking Lot
San Diego, CA 92123 (Map it)
Hours: Monday-Sunday: 7 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Enter parking lot, take ticket and follow signs to the testing drive-through area.
Patient instructions:
- Please ensure that only patient(s) being tested and accompanying parent/guardian are present in the vehicle.
- Masks will be required at all times at the drive-through for anyone age 2 years and older. If you or any close contacts are symptomatic with fever, moderate/severe illness or suspected/confirmed COVID-19 please inform the nurse at drive-up.
If there is an urgent need for testing, email [email protected] or
call 858-966-6776.
If you have trouble getting a timely appointment, consider the following:
- The locations and hours of the sites available around San Diego County can be found at the following website:
https://www.sandiegocounty.gov...
2. Try the Private Covid Clinic: www.covidclinic.org they are offering no-cost testing for people that have been exposed and cannot easily get an appointment. It is unclear if you have to pay first and get reimbursed after.
VACCINE INFORMATION FACT SHEET FOR PARENTS
RE: THE PFIZER-B COVID-19 VACCINE TO PREVENT CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 (COVID-19)
FOR USE IN CHILDREN 5 THROUGH 11 YEARS OF AGE
CHILDREN’S HEALTHCARE is pleased to announce that the Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine to prevent Coronavirus Disease 2019 for children ages 5-11 years old is now available in our office. We will also have the adult Pfizer vaccine for our teenagers.
- The vaccine is a 2-dose series taken 3 weeks apart. Each dose is 10 µg, which is 1/3 the dosage of the adolescent/adult vaccine.
- In a clinical trial, approximately 3,100 individuals 5 through 11 years of age received at least 1 dose of Pfizer-COVID-19 Vaccine. There were no cases of COVID 19 in the vaccinated children.
- The data indicate that the Pfizer COVID 19 vaccine is 90% to 100% effective in preventing serious illness, including from the Delta variant.
HOW DO I SCHEDULE MY CHILD'S PFIZER COVID-19 VACCINE:
- Families with an active MyChart account will be able to schedule on their own.
- For those of you who are not yet on My Chart, our front office staff can help you register to use Rady Children's "My Chart." You may also use the following tip sheet that outlines the steps a proxy takes to schedule via MyChart
WHAT IS COVID-19? COVID-19 disease is caused by a coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2. You can get COVID-19 through contact with another person who has the virus. It is predominantly a respiratory illness that can affect other organs. People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported, ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness leading to death.
- Symptoms may appear 2 to 14 days after exposure to the virus.
- Symptoms may include: fever or chills; cough; shortness of breath; fatigue; muscle or body aches; headache; new loss of taste or smell; sore throat; congestion or runny nose; nausea or vomiting; diarrhea.
- COVID-19 disease in kids can range from asymptomatic to severe illness
- As of October 2021, over 6.3 million COVID-19 pediatric cases have been reported.
- In 23 states, 24,073 pediatric hospitalizations have been reported and 30% of hospitalized children had no underlying medical condition
- As of October 2021, 5,217 cases of long-term multisystem inflammatory disease have been linked to COVID-19.
- Over 600 pediatric deaths have been reported. Although this seems low compared to adults, COVID-19 is a top 10 cause of death for kids in the United States.
WAS THE DEVELOPMENT OF A VACCINE AGAINST COVID-19 RUSHED?
- Decades of previous work allowed the world to get the COVID-19 vaccine in 9 months.
- Previous mRNA research started in 1961 with the first clinical trial completed in 2001.
- Over 150,000 people participated in the U.S. trials.
- Millions of individuals 12 years of age and older have received the Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine since 12/11/20.
WHAT SHOULD YOU MENTION TO US BEFORE YOUR CHILD GETS THE VACCINE:
- Tell us about all of your child’s medical conditions, including if your child: ∙ has any allergies ∙ has had myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) or pericarditis (inflammation of the lining outside the heart) ∙ has a fever ∙ has a bleeding disorder or is on a blood thinner ∙ is immunocompromised or is on a medicine that affects your child’s immune system ∙ has received another COVID-19 vaccine ∙ has ever fainted with an injection.
HOW IS THE VACCINE GIVEN?
- The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is given to your child as an injection into the arm muscle, just below the shoulder.
WILL THE VACCINE GIVE MY CHILD COVID-19?
- No. The vaccine does not contain the SARS-CoV-2 virus and cannot give your child COVID-19.
WHO SHOULD AVOID GETTING THE VACCINE?
- Your child should not get the vaccine if your child had a severe allergic reaction after a previous dose of the COVID 19 vaccine.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF THE VACCINE?
- The vaccine has been shown to prevent serious COVID-19 disease well over 90% of the time in all age groups.
- Children under 12 years of age have been shown to be a common source of spread of the COVID-19 and many of these children do not show any symptoms.
WHAT ARE THE SIDE EFFECTS OF THE VACCINE?
- The side effects in children ages 5 to 11 years old are mainly mild-to-moderate redness/swelling at the injection site, fever, fatigue, headaches, chills, diarrhea, muscle pain or joint pain. More kids report these side effects with the 2nd dose compared to the 1st dose.
- Rare side effects could include swollen lymph nodes, skin sensitivity.
- Side effects of the vaccine typically resolve on their own within 72 hours.
- We do not know long term effects of the vaccine, however, based on our knowledge of mRNA we do not expect long term effects:
- The vaccine is cleared from the body within 72 hrs
- In the history of vaccines, serious side effects have only occurred within two months of vaccine roll-out. We now have data for over 12 months of follow-up in the adult population.
WHAT ARE THE POSSIBLE COMPLICATIONS OF THE VACCINE:
- There is a very small chance that the vaccine could cause a severe allergic reaction within a few minutes to one hour after getting a dose of the vaccine. Signs of a severe allergic reaction can include: ∙ Difficulty breathing ∙ Swelling of the face and throat ∙ A fast heartbeat ∙ A bad rash all over the body ∙ Dizziness and weakness.
- Myocarditis (heart inflammation) has been linked to mRNA vaccines but the risk is very low (26 cases of myocarditis per 1 million doses administered). It's more common for adolescent males and more common for the 2nd dose. Symptoms typically arise within 7 days of vaccination and the majority of the cases have been hospitalized. No kids have died and all cases fully recover within ~34 days. Vaccine-induced myocarditis is much milder compared to COVID 19-induced myocarditis and pericarditis (inflammation of the lining outside the heart). Call our office if your child has any of the following symptoms after receiving the vaccine: ∙ Chest pain ∙ Shortness of breath ∙ Feelings of having a fast-beating, fluttering, or pounding heart.
WHAT SHOULD I DO ABOUT SIDE EFFECTS OR COMPLICATIONS? If your child experiences a severe allergic reaction, call 9-1-1, or go to the nearest hospital.
- You may give your child Tylenol or Motrin for fever, chills, headaches, muscle aches, or joint aches. Call our office if your child has any side effects that bother your child or do not go away within 72 hours of receiving the vaccine.
- School attendance: If symptoms started 1-2 days after receiving the vaccine AND symptoms resolved within 72 hours AND there are no other symptoms or signs of COVID-19 (e.g., loss of taste/smell; sore throat, cough, others), then your child may return to school 24 hours after symptoms resolve.
- Report vaccine side effects or complications to the FDA/CDC Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). The VAERS toll-free number is 1-800-822-7967 or report online to https://vaers.hhs.gov/reportevent.html. Please include “Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine EUA” in the first line of box #18 of the report form.
WHAT IF I DECIDE NOT TO HAVE MY CHILD GET THE PFIZER-BIONTECH COVID-19 VACCINE?
- Should you decide for your child not to receive it, it will not change your child’s standard medical care.
ARE OTHER CHOICES AVAILABLE FOR PREVENTING COVID-19 BESIDES COVID-19 VACCINE?
- For children 5 through 11 years of age, there are no other COVID-19 vaccines available as of today.
KEEP YOUR CHILD’S VACCINATION CARD:
- When your child gets the first dose, you will get a vaccination card to show when to return for your child’s next dose(s) of the vaccine. Remember to bring the card when your child returns.
HOW CAN I LEARN MORE?
- Visit CDC at https://www.cdc.gov/coronaviru...
WHERE WILL MY CHILD’S VACCINATION INFORMATION BE RECORDED?
- Your child’s vaccination information will be recorded in the San Diego Immunization registry. This will ensure that your child receives the same vaccine when your child returns for the second dose
CAN I BE CHARGED AN ADMINISTRATION FEE FOR RECEIPT OF THE COVID-19 VACCINE? No. At this time, the provider cannot charge you for a vaccine dose and you cannot be charged an out-of-pocket vaccine administration fee or any other fee if only receiving a COVID-19 vaccination. However, vaccination providers may seek appropriate reimbursement from a program or plan that covers COVID-19 vaccine administration fees for the vaccine recipient (private insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, Health Resources & Services
THIS PFIZER COVID-19 VACCINE FACT SHEET WILL BE UPDATED REGULARLY: For more information and minute to minute updates, please visit: https://www.cdc.gov/coronaviru...