Updated February 15, 2026
Scheduling a Flu Clinic Visit:
Flu Clinic visits are scheduled each year in the late summer, fall, and early winter, typically from September through January. We will send announcements via MyChart and post updates on our website and Facebook throughout the season. These clinic appointments can be booked via telephone or online via MyChart. If you cannot make one of our flu clinics, we can hopefully accommodate you at a routine "nurse visit" -- please call our office to make arrangements.
Seasonal Influenza Vaccine:
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommend seasonal influenza vaccination for all children and young adults 6 months and older. Per the AAP, patients younger than 5 years of age and those with specific medical problems (like lung disease or immunodeficiency) are at the highest risk.
Vaccine Supply and Flu Clinic Visits:
We generally have plenty of flu vaccine for all Needham Pediatrics patients. Rarely, we experience short-term supply chain disruptions, but these usually resolve within a couple of days.
Your child may be vaccinated at a designated Needham Pediatrics flu clinic, at a "nurse visit" scheduled in advance, or at regularly scheduled well child care visit. When possible, we may be able to provide flu vaccine at sick visits as well. If one child in your family has a visit scheduled, we often can vaccinate siblings who "tag along" at the same time. If it's your intention to have a sibling vaccinated, please let our front desk staff know ahead of time by telephone or when you arrive.
Please understand that we cannot vaccinate parents or other non-Needham Pediatrics patient members of the household. We reserve our vaccine supply for Needham Pediatrics patients only.
Is My Child a High-Risk Patient?
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends vaccination for all pediatric patients 6 months or older, unless they have a specific contraindication to the vaccine, such as a prior significant adverse reaction (these are rare).
Some children do have higher risk of flu complications. Children younger than 5 years of age, and especially those younger than age 2 years, are at especially high risk. Certain underlying risk factors -- such as immunocompromise, cystic fibrosis, neurological disease, and asthma -- increase a patient's risk of developing complications from influenza. In the unlikely event that the vaccine is in short supply, we will make every effort to make sure that patients with these unique risk factors have access to injectable vaccine.