Attention parents of Blue Fish Pediatrics: there will be one final seasonal flu vaccine clinic on Saturday, October 24, 2009. The flu vaccine will be available ONLY to Blue Fish patients. Patients 2 years and older will be given the FluMist vaccine, unless they are considered high-risk patients (i.e. asthmatic). High risk patients will receive an injectable flu vaccine. Patients under 2 years old will also receive an injectable flu vaccine. Due to limited supply, parents will not be vaccinated (including those with children under 6 months).
*NOTE THIS IS NOT THE H1N1 (SWINE) FLU VACCINE (more info to be placed on the website later).
The Saturday seasonal flu vaccine clinic will begin at 8:00 AM and will end at 12:00 PM (noon). In order to reduce the wait time, we will be implementing a ticketing system. There will be a set amount of tickets for every thirty minute period from 8:00 to 12:00 handed out on a first-come-first-serve basis. To illustrate: tickets will be given out starting at 8:00 AM. If there is a line at 8:00 AM the tickets for the 8:00-8:30 time period will be dispensed. As soon as those tickets run out, the 8:30-9:00 tickets will be given, followed by the 9:00-9:30 tickets.
Once you have a ticket, you can either stay and wait for your time slot or leave and return at that time. There will be a limited number of tickets distributed based on vaccine availability. Parents can also choose tickets for a preferred time slot if the tickets are available.
Please, do not call the office for a flu vaccine appointment. Patients who come for well child check-ups between now and December may also receive the flu vaccine (no phone call or prior notification is necessary for this).
Payment
Please read the following carefully. Regrettably, the answer is complicated and beyond our control.
Medicaid and CHIP: The vaccine is covered by your insurance as long as we have the VFC flu vaccine in stock. If we should run out of VFC stock, you can pay the cash price for the vaccine.
Commercial Insurance: You will have to pay your copay for your insurance. Even if your copay is higher than what we charge our cash paying patients, we are contractually obligated by the insurance carrier to charge you the full copay amount. In the past we have tried multiple times to negotiate with the insurance carriers to allow us to charge you the same price as our cash paying patients, and they would not budge on this matter. We apologize for this inconvenience, but legally we are obligated to do so. You always have the option of receiving the flu vaccine elsewhere such as a grocery store or pharmacy for their cash price (as they are not contracted with your insurance company).
If you have any questions please email us at flu@bluefishmd.com and we will reply as quickly as possible.
Here is a list of pharmacies that offer the flu vaccine to patients under 9 years of age. According to recent conversations the following pharmacies do not require a prescription. However, if you are told you do need a prescription, please let us know via telephone at 713-467-1741 and we will gladly call one in for you. Also, please note the age stipulation is different for each CVS and Walgreens clinic.
Please call the pharamacies ahead of time to verify their stock.
CVS Minute Clinic ages 18 months and up:
5402 Westheimer Rd
Houston, TX 77056
713-877-1479
CVS Minute Clinic ages 18 months and up:
3103 N. Fry Rd
Katy, TX 77449
281-646-2963