With the hustle and bustle of life, it can feel overwhelming to think about dealing with the cold and flu season on top of your busy schedule. Thankfully, we have tools like the flu shot at our disposal to help minimize your risk of getting seriously sick.
Everyone can benefit from getting the flu shot, even if you are considered an otherwise healthy person. Let our AFC Urgent Care Chapman Highway team convince you to get your flu shot below!
What Does the Flu Shot Do?
The flu shot protects you from either getting sick altogether, or it can help minimize the severity of your symptoms if you do end up getting sick. This is because your body has formed antibodies to tackle the virus. There are bits of deactivated flu virus in the shot that are designed to create that powerful immune response in your body.
The shot changes from year to year to most effectively mirror the most common strain of the flu. It is important to remember that the flu shot cannot give you the flu, so that’s not an excuse for not getting the shot.
Why the Flu Shot Is Important
- It reduces your risk of death due to the flu.
- It can reduce the number of days you are sick if you do get the flu.
- The shot protects you from serious complications.
- It can help with herd immunity.
How Common Are Complications from the Flu?
The good news is that the majority of flu cases produce mild to moderate symptoms that can be managed at home. However, just because you have never gotten seriously sick from the flu before, it doesn’t guarantee that it will never happen to you.
In some cases, people can suffer an extreme inflammatory response to the virus and develop pneumonia, myocarditis or inflammation of the brain or muscle tissue. This can lead to sepsis or multi-organ failure. All because of influenza! Come get your flu shot today—it’s easy to do.
Be Flu-Smart This Year
- Get your annual flu shot.
- Wash hands for 20 seconds each time.
- Avoid others if they are sick.
- Eat well and stay hydrated.
- Make sleep a priority.
It’s not too late to get your flu shot this year! Come see us today at AFC Urgent Care Chapman Highway.
