The weather is cooling off, the school year is in full swing—and that means influenza is sure to be here soon. The flu is very different from an ordinary cold, or even a very bad cold. Influenza causes high fevers and a lot of aches and pains, and sometimes severe complications and death (about 36,000 deaths annually in the USA, including hundreds of children.) Once it’s in your house everyone is bound to get it.
There are many ways to help keep the flu away. One of the most important is for you and your children to get a yearly influenza vaccine. This is recommended by the CDC and by the doctors at our practice. Unless there is a medical contraindication, every one of us aged 6 months or older should get a flu vaccine every year.
Two kinds of influenza vaccine
We have two kinds of influenza vaccine available, the “mist” and the traditional injectable or “shot” vaccine. Both are safe and effective, and the supply we have for both of these is all preservative-free.
The mist is a cold-adapted, live vaccine for use from age 2-49 years. It is especially recommended from age 2-8 years, because it’s even more effective than the shot for young children. The mist shouldn’t be given to people with lung, heart, or immune disease. The injectable vaccine can be given to anyone over 6 months of age.
People should not get a flu vaccine if they have a severe or life-threatening allergy to egg. Mild egg allergies are not a problem. Flu vaccines can be given safely to children or adults even while sick, as long as the illness isn’t severe.
Schedule a visit to our office for your vaccines
We have all of our flu vaccines in stock now, and now is the time to call for your appointment. As we’ve done in previous years, we’re happy to vaccinate healthy parents and grandparents of children in our practice (with an appointment—and please bring your insurance information.)
We don’t like to keep people waiting, so all vaccine visits must be by appointment. We cannot accommodate walk-ins for vaccines.
We know that communities with high vaccination rates have far less influenza disease. Protect yourself, your family, and your neighborhoods—get vaccinated!