NEWS

9/17/20205

It's that time of year again!  The doctors at PAW recommend that all children 6 months of age and older get their annual flu vaccine.

If you have an upcomming well visit you may get your flu shot then.
Flu-clinic appointments can now be booked ONLINE on Patient Gateway:

Select "Schedule an Appointment",  then select "Flu Shot".

Both of our office locations will pop up at the available dates and times. Please be sure to select the correct location.

You will have options to choose from the following dates:

Weston: Tuesdays 5-7PM and Thursdays 3:30-5:30 beginning 10/2-11/20/25.
Medfield: Tuesdays and Wednesdays 3:30-4:50 from 10/1-11/19/25.

There will also be appointments available on Indigenous People Day and Veterans Day.

If you have questions or technical difficulties please call our office.

For more information about the flu vaccine and recommendations please visit:
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/vaccin...

Regarding the COVID vaccine- When we have more information and stock for the updated COVID vaccine we will be sure to communicate!

4/11/2025

Soon it will be the time of year where the pollen counts are at their peak, and children over the age of 2 can develop seasonal allergies, causing itchy watery eyes, nasal congestion, and sometimes cough and asthma exacerbations. To help relieve the symptoms we suggest the following. 

First of All:     Wash face ( and even rinse out nose with saline spray) and change clothes when comes in from outside for the day.

Medicines     General approach: allergies affect eyes, nose and lungs. For each of these symptoms can be a mild nuisance, or more significant and bothersome.  There are two types of medicines for allergies:

    1) IMMEDIATE RELIEF - There are medicines that give quicker relief and can be used on an "as needed" basis (that is, you don't need to use them every day to be effective and you can take them just when you need them). These are good for more mild-moderate symptoms.

    2) PREVENTATIVE - There are also medicines that only really work if you use them every day, whether there are symptoms or not. These all take a few days to work, yet do a much better job preventing someone from having symptoms. If you start one of these daily, preventative medicines, use them for three weeks, then stop and see if the bad season has ended, then resume if you need it.       If your symptoms are moderate and bothersome, the best approach is to do one of the daily, preventative medicines - EVERY DAY - and use the immediate relief medicines as needed on bad days.  Even if you are most bothered by eye or lung symptoms, you should do the medicines listed below for the nose, since pollen etc comes in through the nose.     

For eyes (itchy, weepy, red, puffy eyes):     For immediate, as needed relief: Naphcon A or Opticon A, both use as directed     For daily prevention: Patanol or Zaditor, as directed on the box

For nose (sneezy, runny, itchy nose)     For immediate relief: Claritin (10 mg) or Zyrtec (5-10mg) once a day as needed  If you are having a REALLY bad moment or day, you can do one dose of Benadryl in addition (but this can make kids sleepy or loopy)     For daily, prevention: Flonase or Nasalcort - 1-2 puffs each nostril every day (in children above 7, you can do 1-2 puffs twice a day for the first three days to get things going well)

For lungs (cough, shortness of breath, wheezing); these medicines are  by prescription.      For immediate relief: albuterol 1-2 puffs with spacer      For daily prevention: Flovent or QVAR, 2 puffs twice a day with a spacer

9/11/2024

It's that time of year again!  The doctors at PAW recommend that all children 6 months of age and up get their annual flu/COVID vaccines.

FLU/COVID clinics are BY APPOINTMENT ONLY. 
To book an appointment please send a REQUEST APPOINTMENT MESSAGE on gateway with your preferred time and date, and if you would like your child to receive the Influenza AND/OR the COVID vaccine.

(DO NOT REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE)

The following dates are available:

Sunday, September 22, 2024 9AM-11:30AM
Sunday, October 6, 2024 9AM-11:30AM
Monday, October 14, 2024 10AM-4PM (Indigenous People Day)
Tuesday, October 22, 2024 4PM-6PM
Saturday, October 26, 2024 9AM-11:30AM
Tuesday, November 5, 2024 2PM-5PM (Election Day)
Saturday, November 9, 2024 9AM-11:30AM
Sunday, November 17, 2024 9AM-11:30AM
Sunday, November 24, 2024 9AM-11:30AM

MEDFIELD
Friday, September 20, 2024 2PM-4PM
Saturday, October 12, 2024 9AM-12PM
Friday, October 18, 2024 2PM-4PM
Sunday, November 10, 2024 9AM-12PM
Saturday, November 23, 2024 9AM-12PM

For more information on these vaccines please visit:
https://www.cdc.gov/covid/vacc...
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/preven... 

5/14/2024

We have been getting a lot of calls regarding seasonal allergy relief. 
It is that time of year where the pollen counts are at their peak, and children over the age of 2 can develop seasonal allergies, causing itchy watery eyes, nasal congestion, and sometimes cough and asthma exacerbations. To help relieve the symptoms we suggest the following. 

First of All:
    Wash face ( and even rinse out nose with saline spray) and change clothes when comes in from outside for the day.

Medicines
    General approach: allergies affect eyes, nose and lungs. For each of these symptoms can be a mild nuisance, or more significant and bothersome.  There are two types of medicines for allergies:

    1) IMMEDIATE RELIEF - There are medicines that give quicker relief and can be used on an "as needed" basis (that is, you don't need to use them every day to be effective and you can take them just when you need them). These are good for more mild-moderate symptoms.

    2) PREVENTATIVE - There are also medicines that only really work if you use them every day, whether there are symptoms or not. These all take a few days to work, yet do a much better job preventing someone from having symptoms. If you start one of these daily, preventative medicines, use them for three weeks, then stop and see if the bad season has ended, then resume if you need it.
  
   If your symptoms are moderate and bothersome, the best approach is to do one of the daily, preventative medicines - EVERY DAY - and use the immediate relief medicines as needed on bad days.  Even if you are most bothered by eye or lung symptoms, you should do the medicines listed below for the nose, since pollen etc comes in through the nose.
    

For eyes (itchy, weepy, red, puffy eyes):
    For immediate, as needed relief: Naphcon A or Opticon A, both use as directed
    For daily prevention: Patanol or Zaditor, as directed on the box

For nose (sneezy, runny, itchy nose)
    For immediate relief: Claritin (10 mg) or Zyrtec (5-10mg) once a day as needed  If you are having a REALLY bad moment or day, you can do one dose of Benadryl in addition (but this can make kids sleepy or loopy)
    For daily, prevention: Flonase or Nasalcort - 1-2 puffs each nostril every day (in children above 7, you can do 1-2 puffs twice a day for the first three days to get things going well)

For lungs (cough, shortness of breath, wheezing); these medicines are  by prescription.
     For immediate relief: albuterol 1-2 puffs with spacer
     For daily prevention: Flovent or QVAR, 2 puffs twice a day with a spacer

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Beginning January 1 st 2024, all refills will be processed via Patient Gateway only. For those unable to use Patient Gateway (no computer access, foster parents) or if it's an urgent matter that cannot wait, please just ask to speak with a nurse and we will be happy to assist you.

STEPS to follow for refill for < 13 years of age or 18 +:
Open Gateway --> send a message --> renew a prescription --> request renewal --> select appropriate medication --> check that delivery method and pharmacy are correct --> submit

STEPS to follow for refill for 13-17 years of age:
Open Gateway --> send a message --> medical question ---> complete empty field with*all* of the
following information:
· Name and strength/dose of medication
· How often medication is taken
· Preferred pharmacy
· Contact number if we have questions about your request

This information may also be found on our website at www.paofwellesley.com. Just click on "News" to review the process.

A friendly reminder: routine refills require you have had an annual well visit, but medication check
appointments are required every 6 months if your child is taking medication for ADD/ADHD, Anxiety, and/or Depression.

Regarding ADD/ADHD prescriptions:
· Before requesting a refill please check with your pharmacist to make sure they have the
medication you need in stock.
· New state and federal laws surrounding refills make it very difficult to refill these out of state.
Please check with the pharmacy to make sure they will accept a prescription from MA before
asking us to refill it.

Please allow up to 3 business days for prescriptions to be refilled. We will contact you only if there is a problem with your prescription.