4 Reasons You Should Get a Flu Shot

Flu season has its peak in the fall and winter months, which makes sense with all of the weather changes happening and drops in temperature. In order to keep you and your family healthy and safe from the flu virus, you might want to think about going to the urgent care clinic to get a flu shot! Flu shots are given at many pharmacies and walk-in clinics if you cannot get to an urgent care, although an urgent care clinic is a great place to get a shot administered by a nurse or doctor at an affordable price and convenient location.

If you think you might have been exposed to the flu vaccine, an urgent care clinic can help ensure that you get treated right away without having to wait for a spot at your general practitioner’s office. If you need more information about the benefits of a getting a flu vaccine, check out this list of amazing reasons you should get a flu shot!

1. It can prevent you from getting sick

The most obvious reason to get a flu shot is to prevent you and your loved ones from getting sick in the first place. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Flu vaccination can keep you from getting sick with flu.”

2. It can keep you out of the hospital

Flu vaccines have lowered the amount of flu-related hospitalizations, especially in children and older adults, whose immune system might be compromised or just overall weaker. When an individual’s immune system is lowered, it makes it harder for the body to fight off the virus, resulting in either getting the flu virus or having a much more difficult time fighting it off. This is especially important for those dealing with chronic conditions. According to the CDC, “Flu vaccination also has been associated with reduced hospitalizations among people with diabetes (79%) and chronic lung disease (52%).”

3. It can protect women and children

Women who are pregnant can benefit greatly from getting vaccinated against the flu virus because it helps protect the mother from contracting the flu virus while she is pregnant as well as after. Getting the flu vaccine also helps to ensure that her baby will not get the flu virus either as she will develop antibodies against the virus and pass it to her child in the womb as well as through breastfeeding. The flu vaccine also helps reduce a child’s risk of dying from influenza.

4. You’ll get through it quicker

You know the all-too-familiar feeling of having to stop into the pharmacy to buy something that will help with congestion, headaches, getting quality sleep, and just getting rid of that overall “sick” feeling. You’re taking a ton of vitamin C to help your immune system fight off the virus, but you still feel exhausted and sick. If you get a flu vaccine and still manage to get the flu virus, the fact you have gotten vaccinated will help ensure that the duration of your sickness will be shortened and you’ll feel better sooner than if you did not have the vaccine and were fighting it off on your own.

Have you ever gotten a flu vaccine before? Would you recommend it to a friend or loved one? Getting a flu shot can save lives, and the fact that you can get it done at an urgent care clinic makes it much more affordable and convenient to keep yourself and your family safe from the flu vaccine this season.