Some kids in the city are heading back to the classrooms soon and that means it might be time to get those yearly checkups and vaccinations. 

Dr. Kusum Viswanathan, the chair of the pediatrics department at Brookdale Hospital Medical Center, says that doesn’t mean all children need to go see a doctor in-person. 

She says she recommends parents reach out to their child’s doctors to find out if a virtual exam is sufficient, or if they are due for any vaccinations and need to go in. 

"It's very important for children to be up to date with their immunizations,” said Dr. Viswanathan. 

She also believes that it is extremely important that everyone gets the flu shot this year. 

"If children come down with symptoms of flu, it's going to be very difficult to distinguish between that and COVID - so it's really important for children to be vaccinated...If someone believes it's the flu and does not think it's COVID, you run the risk of exposing so many people in this community,” said Dr. Viswanathan.

Many places like Brookdale Hospital also have new policies in place to keep everyone safe. They are providing virtual appointments, keeping families in one room during the entire visit to reduce exposure, and limiting the number of people in the waiting room as well.