News & Announcements

We would like to address some questions and concerns that have been brought up by our patients recently regarding the COVID-19 vaccine.

Due to reported cases of anaphylaxis to the vaccine, there have been understandable concerns whether or not an individual with a history of allergies (including to food, seasonal, drugs, etc.) should receive the vaccine. Based on current CDC guidelines, the ONLY contraindication to getting the vaccine is if you have a history of allergic reaction to other vaccines or known allergy to identified components of the COVID-19 vaccine, namely polyethyl glycol or polysorbate. Otherwise, we are encouraging all our patients to receive the vaccine when given the opportunity. That said, if you are concerned about a potential allergic reaction, we recommend that you bring your epinephrine device to your vaccination appointment, inform the administering health care provider of your allergies and ask to be observed for at least 30 mins.

Currently, there is no standardized testing available to test for allergy to the COVID-19 vaccine or any ingredient component.

We do not know when our office will be able to acquire doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. It largely depends on our state’s distribution plan and timeline. If we do have a chance to offer the vaccine in our clinic and you are interested in being contacted, please call our office and we can put your name on our waiting list (for established patients only).

For updated guidelines relating to allergies and the COVID-19 vaccine, we have been primarily referencing the CDC website:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/safety/allergic-reaction.html

For those living in Montgomery County, this is a good website to reference to see when you’ll be eligible to receive the vaccine:

https://montgomerycountymd.gov/covid19/vaccine/

We are also happy to share that all staff in our clinic have been fully vaccinated. We will continue to take proper precautions in our office to ensure the safety of all our patients.

Stay safe and healthy!

– Dr. Kao and staff

ATTENTION ALL PATIENTS:

Our office is closely monitoring the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. We are taking extra measures to regularly clean and disinfect our waiting rooms and patient care areas beyond routine procedures. The safety and health of our patients and staff is our highest concern.

Please DO NOT come into the office if any of the following applies:

• If you are experiencing the following symptoms:
  • Fever or flu-like symptoms
  • Cold symptoms (sore throat and/or acute cough)
  • Shortness of breath related to flu-like or cold symptoms
• If you have traveled to an affected area
  • CDC website travel advisory (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/index.html)
• If you have been in close contact with someone who has suspected or confirmed infection with COVID-19 in the last 14 days

Instead, please call your primary care physician so that they can triage you over the phone and provide further guidance.

*** Our office is not equipped to provide swab testing for COVID-19 at this time***

We now offer VIRTUAL VISITS:

For patients who have been advised to stay home but still need an appointment for various reasons, there is the option to set up a virtual visit. Please call our office, and our staff will be happy to schedule the appointment for you.

For more information, you can check out the following links related to information on COVID-19 below:

– Harvard – FAQs (https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/coronavirus-resource-center)
– CDC Guidelines (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html)
– MD Department of Health – Maryland Case Map (https://coronavirus.maryland.gov/)

If you have any other questions or concerns, you can call our office at 301-972-3709.

In observance of the upcoming holidays, please note the following updates to our December/January shot schedule:

Tuesday, December 24^th
(CLOSED FOR SHOTS)

Wednesday, December 25^th
(CLOSED FOR SHOTS)

Thursday, December 26^th
(Open for shots from 12 pm – 6:30 pm)

Friday, December 27^th
(Open for shots from 9 am – 12 pm & 1 pm – 4 pm)

Monday, December 30^th
(Open for shots from 9 am – 12 pm & 1 pm – 4:30 pm)

Tuesday, December 31^st
(Open for shots 9 am – 12 pm ONLY; CLOSED IN THE AFTERNOON)

Wednesday, January 1^st
(CLOSED FOR SHOTS)

Thursday, January 2^nd
(Open for shots 12-6:30 pm)

Friday, January 3^rd
(Open for shots from 9 am – 12 pm & 1 pm – 4 pm)

Please call our office if you have any questions (301-972-3709). Our apologies for any inconvenience.

ATTENTION ALL SHOT PATIENTS!

In observance of the Thanksgiving holiday, we will have revised shot hours for week of 11/25 – 11/29 :

Mon, 11/25 (9 am – 12 pm & 1 pm – 4:30 pm)

Tues, 11/26 (12 pm – 6:30 pm)

Wed, 11/27 (9 am – 12 pm) *OFFICE CLOSED IN THE AFTERNOON*

Thurs, 11/28 (OFFICE CLOSED)

Fri, 11/29 (OFFICE CLOSED)

We will resume regular shot hours the following week starting Tuesday, 12/3. Our apologies for any inconvenience. Please call our office (301-972-3709) if you have any questions or concerns.

Happy Fall!
Dr. Kao and staff

Dear all shot patients,

We will have updated shot hours for week of February 18th as Dr. Kao will be attending the annual Allergy conference. Please note the following changes to our schedule in red:

Monday, February 18th: OPEN for shots from 9am-12pm and 1-4pm
Tuesday, February 19th: Open for shots from 12-6:30pm
Wednesday, February 20th: Open for shots from 9am-12pm and 1-4:30pm
Thursday, February 21st: OPEN for shots in the morning (9am-12pm);
CLOSED for shots in the afternoon
Friday, February 22nd: OFFICE CLOSED FOR SHOTS ALL DAY

It is our pleasure to announce that Dr. Kao has been recognized by his peers as one of Washingtonian’s Top Doctors in Allergy and Immunology for 2018!

Our new address is 19851 Observation Drive, Suite 375, Germantown, MD 20876.

Free parking is available in the parking garage next to the medical office building.

Please call our office (301-972-3709) if you have any questions. See you there soon!

We are excited to announce that we will be moving to a new location on October 31, 2017. Our brand new office will be located in the medical building next to Holy Cross Germantown Hospital on Observation Drive.

The new address will be:

19851 Observation Drive, Suite 375
Germantown, MD 20876

Click here to view location of new office

Our number and hours will remain the same. Please don’t hesitate to contact our staff if you have any questions or concerns.

We look forward to seeing you there!