News & Announcements

We are pleased to announce that Privia and Cigna have reached a verbal agreement to keep Privia in Cigna’s network. Cigna and Privia do not anticipate any disruption in your care and recommend that patients continue to attend and schedule doctors appointments as needed. There should be no reason to change your health coverage or your physician. Simply put, you can continue seeing your trusted Privia team and Cigna will continue to cover the costs according to your plan.

To all our Cigna patients: We understand how stressful these last weeks have been, as of today we would like to make you aware that negotiations are progressing in a positive way; we are hopeful that good news will be coming in the next week so that your care is not disrupted.

If a deal is not made by February 20th, Cigna Connect patients and Fairfax County School employees will not be affected and will continue receiving in network care from us. For the most up to date information Cigna patients can check https://care.myprivia.com/cigna/

Our offices currently have in stock the following pediatric COVID-19 vaccines. Primary doses for ages 6m-4 yrs., and bivalent booster for children 12 yrs. and older.

We are offering walk-in sick visits in both our offices.  Walk-in visits are available Monday-Friday during regular business hours on a first come, first serve basis for routine sick problems.  Walk-ins are available for the following situations:
established patients, children older than 4 months of age, symptoms for fewer than 3 days and routine problems such as sore throat, earache, cough, runny nose, fever or rashes.

For all other problems and if your child is younger than 4 months of age, please call for an appointment.  Generally same day sick appointments will still be available.

We have been receiving a number of phone calls about monkeypox.  The best source for information at this time is the CDC website

We are looking into the ability to test if needed at some point in the near future.

COVID-19 vaccination is now approved for children ages 6 months and over.  The dose for the youngest children (6 months through 4 years of age) will be lower than that currently given to those over 5 years of age.  Our offices will most likely have vaccine available later this week.  You can contact us now to let us know that you’d like to have your child scheduled so that we can contact you as soon as the vaccine arrives in our office.

More information can be found on the AAP’s Heathy Children website.

Mental health continues to be a big problem in our community and our country.  Many of our providers have participated in continuing medical education with the Virginia American Academy of Pediatrics VMAP program in order to better diagnose and treat mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety.  We are here to help.  If you need to talk with us about your teen’s mental health, please contact us for an appointment.

It’s that time of year again when parents have to start thinking about their child’s annual well check.  For preteens and teens, this annual well check also counts towards a sports physical for the upcoming school year but only if done after May 1st so keep that in mind when scheduling your appointment.  Please bring any forms that need to be completed for school, camp or sports with you to your child’s appointment.  Make sure you complete the health history questionnaire on the sports form as well prior to coming to our office.  If your child has any medications at school, there is a form for that as well.  Most forms can be found on your school’s or your county’s website.

Virginia School Entrance Form

Virginia Sports Participation Form

As we see less COVID cases in our community, we are happy to announce that our offices will start accepting walk-in appointments again.  If your child has a fever or known exposure to someone with COVID-19, we ask that you call us from your vehicle prior to entering the office.

We offer both rapid and PCR COVID testing but do require that you see a provider who will help determine which test is appropriate for your child.  Our goal is to provide appropriate medical care in a timely manner and limit wait times for all appointments including walk-ins. 

The VA AAP issued the following statement about masking:

Virginia Pediatricians strongly recommend children continue to wear masks in school while rates of
COVID-19 infection remain high.
The Virginia Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (VA-AAP) strongly recommends that school
aged children, regardless of vaccination status, wear a well-fitting face mask while attending school.
Any successful comprehensive plan to protect children against the Omicron variant and other future
variants of COVID-19 includes being up to date on COVID-19 vaccination and consistent wearing of face
masks during times of infection surge.
Face masks remain safe and reliable, and children have demonstrated their ability to wear them effectively. In addition to protecting a child, face mask use significantly reduces the spread of SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory infections, thus keeping schools operational and ensuring children do not miss in person school.

Both of our offices have received pediatric COVID 19 vaccines and are now scheduling appointments for administration.  The CDC  approved use of the Pfizer COVID vaccine for children ages 5-11 years of age last week and as pediatricians we are strongly recommending the vaccine.   The dose for this age group is 1/3 of the dose for those 12 years and older and will require two doses spaced 3 weeks apart.  Side effects have been minimal in children and some may get a sore arm, fever or body aches which can be treated with ibuprofen or tylenol.

Influenza vaccinations are now available in both our office locations. Flu vaccines are recommended by the CDC and AAP for all children ages 6 months and older. Please call either location for an appointment.  Information about influenza can be found on the CDC website.

Hopefully most of our children are looking forward to returning to school very soon.  We realize that new stressors have arisen for many parents especially in regards to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.  The Virginia American Academy of Pediatrics has many great resources to help navigate rules and recommendations with the goal of keeping us all healthy!  As a reminder, our offices are able to provide COVID-19 vaccination for those 12 years of age and over as well as doing COVID testing

The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine has been approved for children ages 12 and above. We are happy to announce that both of our office locations have appointments available for your child or young adult to get a vaccine.   Please call us to schedule.  More more information visit the CDC website.

Our offices are no longer offering rapid COVID antigen tests but are offering the PCR test which does have a somewhat better accuracy rate.  We are generally getting results back within 24 hours.  If you feel your child needs to be tested, please call us to schedule a virtual visit with one of our providers who will help guide if and when testing is appropriate for your child.

There are some new vaccine requirements for attending school in the state of Virginia that will be effective this coming school year.  These requirements are based on the vaccination schedule recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the CDC and our practice has been following these recommendations for many years.  You can find more information about the new requirements here.

Please contact our office if you have any questions about what vaccines your child/teen may need and to make an appointment for their annual well check.  Reminder – sports physicals, which can be done as part of the annual wellness check, need to be on or after May 1st each year to count for the following school year.

Our office is now providing COVID-19 testing utilizing rapid antigen testing.  The results of this test are available in 15 minutes.  The test is more useful for symptomatic individuals although there can be a small number of false negative results.  The test is performed using a nasal swab which is inserted about halfway up the nostrils and not deeper in like some of the other tests that are done. If you think your child needs testing, then a virtual visit is required prior to bringing your child in for testing.  The Virginia Department of Health has published guidelines for COVID-19 prevention and when to consider testing.   Please call for any concerns or questions.

Influenza vaccinations are now available in both our office locations. Flu vaccines are recommended by the CDC and AAP for all children ages 6 months and older. Please call either location for an appointment.  Information about influenza can be found on the CDC website.

Through these difficult days our hope is that you and your loved ones are safe and healthy.  Both our offices continue to be open Monday through Friday until 5 PM.  We will have at least one office open on Saturday mornings.  We are only allowing well check appointments in the morning hours and want to stress the importance that children 2 years of age and younger continue to come to the office for their well appointments and vaccines.  We are having patients wait in their cards until they can be brought directly to an exam room so no one is having to wait in the waiting room with other people.  We also ask that only one parent come to the appointment and that anyone age 2 and over wear a mask when in our office.  We continue to offer virtual visits for most other non-well check appointments.  Consult with us by phone or through a virtual appointment before going to an emergency or urgent care facility.   We are here to help as best we can.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has a great website (healthychildren.org) with tips for parenting in a pandemic.

We are offering well checks in the morning only and sick patients are only allowed in the afternoon  It is very important that your baby or young child continue to receive preventive care and immunizations during this time.  Please call or contact us through the patient portal for appointments.  We are also offering Virtual appointments for issues such as mental health, pink eye, etc

Please be assured that our physicians and staff are monitoring the COVID-19 situation daily.  We have trained our front desk staff to ask appropriate questions when booking sick appointments. We have designated certain exam rooms for well checks only although as always we continue to clean rooms and exam tables well between patients.  We plan to adjust the office schedule by having well patient appointments in the morning and only sick patients in the office in the afternoon.  Babies should continue to come in for well exams and vaccines.  We will try to keep time in waiting room to a minimum especially with the youngest babies.  We also ask that you try to limit the number of people coming to the office with the patient if possible and we would like to avoid having walk-in appointments at this time too.

As of now we are not doing any COVID-19 tests in our office but will be in consultation with the local health department if the need arises.

For further up-to-date information see the CDC or the Virginia Health Department websites.  The AAP also has information for families.

Our offices will be open on Tuesday, Christmas Eve and on New  Years Eve from 8:30-12 noon.  We will be closed on Christmas Day and New Years Day.  Both offices will have regular hours on December 26th and January 2nd.  We wish everyone a safe and healthy holiday week!

Influenza vaccinations are now available in both our office locations. Flu vaccines are recommended by the CDC and AAP for all children ages 6 months and older. Please call either location for an appointment.  Information about influenza can be found on the CDC website.

Manassas Pediatrics will be offering Walk in Sports Physicals for our patients who had a wellness exam prior to May 1^st, 2019. Due to the limited time available for these walk-in sport physicals we will only be addressing sports clearance. If there are any other health concerns, we will gladly schedule an appropriate appointment to discuss the issues at a later date. Please note that these walk-in slots will be available if you meet the following criteria:

• Established patient of Manassas Pediatrics
• Had a well exam with one of our providers within the last year (12 months)
• Only need a sports clearance/camp form to be filled out

There will be a $50 charge for this service which is not billable to insurance.

A sports clearance physical should not substitute for the recommended annual well exam.  We will continue to complete sports physical forms at routine well checks that are done after May 1st of each year.

Our Gainesville office will be open from 8:30 AM – noon.

Manassas Pediatrics now offers prenatal tour for expecting parents. Please call the office to learn more, 703.369.2999!

We are starting to see cases of influenza type A in the office in children of all ages.  For more information about influenza visit the CDC website.  We still have flu shots available for children under 3 years of age and Flumist for children 2 and over so it is not too late to get vaccinated.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) issued an updated policy statement on the harms of spanking children as a form of discipline.  It is ineffective and often results in both physical and mental negative consequences for youngsters.  The AAP recommends instead that parents reinforce appropriate behaviors, set limits, redirect children and set reasonable expectations.   For more information and tips visit healthychildren.org

Influenza vaccinations are now available in both our office locations. There will be a flu vaccine clinic on Saturday, Oct 6 in Manassas and on Monday, Oct 8 in both offices.  Flu vaccines are recommended for all children ages 6 months and older.     You may also drop in for you child’s flu shot at any time. Information about influenza can be found on the CDC website.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has just released new guidelines for how long children should remain rear-facing in their car seat.  It is now recommended to continue rear-facing as long as possible based on the car seat’s height and weight guidelines rather than based on specific age of 2 years old.  Click here for more detailed information.

Spring is here and the trees are blooming with flowers and pollen.  There are now many over-the-counter options for treating seasonal allergies including antihistamines, steroid nasal sprays and eye drops.  This article from the American Academy of Pediatrics discussing options for treating allergies. In general a referral to an allergist is not needed unless allergy shots (immunotherapy) needs to be considered.  Contact us if your child needs an appointment to discuss treatment options further.

As we enter the cold and flu season, we would like to remind our patients that we are almost always available in both offices for same day sick appointments.  We have extended our hours to 6 PM Monday through Thursday and are often open at 8 AM as well.  It is in your child’s best interest to see his or her regular pediatrician for acute illnesses rather than go to an urgent care center.  Not only do we have your child’s medical records but it is often more costly to visit an urgent care.  Urgent care centers generally order more tests that are not always necessary and also over-prescribe antibiotics which is NOT in your child’s best interest.  We are here to help so feel free to call us if you have any concerns or think your child needs an appointment.

It’s that time of year to get your child’s flu vaccine.  Flu vaccination is recommended by the CDC and AAP for all children ages 6 months and older.  Children younger than 9 years of age should receive two doses of flu vaccine spaced 4 weeks apart the first year they get a flu vaccine.  We have flu clinic appointments available in both offices as follows:

Manassas October 5th, 6th, 9th (Columbus Day) and 21st
Gainesville Oct 7th and 9th

Please call ahead to schedule a flu vaccine.

For more information about influenza and flu vaccine visit the CDC website

It is that time of year to start thinking about school, camp and sports physicals.  The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends annual well child visits through age 18 years and most insurances provide this benefit without a copay or deductible.  If your child is entering school for the first time or will be trying out for a sport in middle or high school, then he or she will need a well child visit/physical exam and completion of the appropriate form by our office.  All sports physicals must be done after May 1 in order to participate in sports the following school year.  Please bring the appropriate form along with you to your appointment.  This includes school/sports/camp forms as well as medication administration forms.
Please call either our Gainesville or Manassas office to schedule your child’s appointment.  Appointments can also be scheduled through our patient portal.

National Children’s Dental Health month highlights the importance of early good dental habits.  Teeth can be gently brushed as soon as they appear in an infant’s or toddler’s mouth.  Our office is now offering fluoride varnish application for young children at ages 12, 18, 24 and 30 months at the well child visit.  This is a covered service by most insurance companies but feel free to call your insurance before your child’s appointment to confirm this.  For more information about childrens dental health visit the NIH website https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/NewsAndFeatures/Announcements/ChildrensDentalHealthMonth.htm

or https://www.cdc.gov/oralhealth/children_adults/child.htm

When have received another shipment of flu vaccine in both offices!  There will be flu clinic appointments in both locations on Friday, Nov 4th and in the Gainesville office Saturday, Nov 5th 9:00-11:30 AM,    We can be flexible if these times do not work for you.

Please call ahead for an appointment if possible.

Visit the CDC website for more information about the flu and flu vaccines.

It’s that time of year again when we get a lot of questions about what type of insect repellent to use on your child.  Here’s a link to an article from the American Academy of Pediatric’s Healthy Children website which is a great resource for information on car seats, nutrition, immunizations and more.

It is that time of year to start thinking about school, camp and sports physicals.  The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends annual well child visits through age 18 years and most insurances provide this benefit without a copay or deductible.  If your child is entering school for the first time or will be trying out for a sport in middle or high school, then he or she will need a well child visit/physical exam and completion of the appropriate form by our office.  All sports physicals must be done after May 1 in order to participate in sports the following school year.  Please bring the appropriate form along with you to your appointment.  This includes school/sports/camp forms as well as medication administration forms.
Please call either our Gainesville or Manassas office to schedule your child’s appointment.  Appointments can also be scheduled through our patient portal.

Information about Zika virus, which is transmitted by mosquitoes, and travel advisories especially for pregnant women who may consider travel to Mexico, Central America and parts of the Caribbean and South America can be found here:  http://www.cdc.gov/zika/index.html/

Drs. Flower, Flynn, and Mason were recognized by their peers as one of Washingtonian Top Doctors in 2015!