The fall season has arrived in a big way in the Fountain City area! The leaves are falling, the colors are changing and we are finally experiencing that refreshing crispness to the air.

While many of us appreciate the colder months in our community, the arrival of cold and flu season is never welcomed. Getting your flu shot can help you stay healthier throughout the year.

Come see us at AFC Urgent Care Fountain City for your annual flu shot, and read on to learn more about why the flu shot is recommended for everyone eligible in our community.

Is Every Flu Strain the Same?

Influenza is a virus, and viruses mutate and change in order to survive and replicate. You can get sick from multiple strains in a single season because you may not be immune to the strains that are currently circulating in our community. This is why the flu shot is so important! The flu shot is reformulated every year because of this mutation. This reformulation helps better protect us all from the current strains and can help us avoid infection entirely.

Getting your flu shot in the early fall, by the end of October, offers the most protection all season long. That’s because the flu vaccine needs about two weeks in your body in order to kickstart the antibody production that you need in order to fight off the real illness later in the year.

Typical Flu Symptoms

• Fever
• Fatigue
• Congestion
• Body aches
• Cough

Can the Flu Shot Give Me Influenza?

No! This is probably the most common myth that we hear on a daily or weekly basis in our center. The flu shot contains deactivated flu virus, which means it simply cannot give you the flu. What it will give you, however, are those important antibodies that will help keep you healthy when you come into contact with the flu virus.

The flu shot is historically up to 60% effective at entirely preventing infection, so if you get a breakthrough case, don’t panic. Even those who have gotten the flu shot still have the ability to get sick, but the shot protects you from experiencing a severe or even deadly infection.

Top Reasons Why the Flu Shot Matters

• They reduce serious respiratory illness.
• They are updated every year for the best protection.
• They could save your life.
• They protect your family from exposure and our community from large outbreaks.

If you are wondering if your recent illness is the flu, come see us at AFC Urgent Care Fountain City.