Denver Leetsdale Flu Shots at AFC Urgent Care

Avoid The Flu by getting your Flu Shots at any AFC Urgent Care Denver Walk-In Clinic

Flu season doesn’t mean you or your family members have to feel crummy. Avoid getting seasonal influenza at any AFC Urgent Care Denver walk-in clinic. We have flu vaccines in stock and available immediately—no appointment necessary.

Patients above the age of six months old should get a flu shot as soon as possible and right before flu season begins. Without the flu shot you and members of your family will likely get sick, experience irritating symptoms, and missed commitments including school and work.

If you need a flu shot ASAP, please check-in to your nearest AFC Urgent Care Denver facility whenever possible. If patients need to learn more about the flu, how it impacts communities, and how to prevent it, please keep reading:

What is influenza? Why does it make so many people sick during the year?

Influenza, or “the flu," hospitalized over 500,000 patients each year and contributes to 40 million flu-related illnesses, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The disease is able to infect so many people because of its ability to spread quickly and adapt each year.

The flu spreads as infected individuals pass the virus through airborne and peer-to-peer contact. This includes coughing, sneezing, handshaking, and general contact. Each year, the flu spreads in both rural and urban communities at a peak during the late fall/early winter. This is because people tend to stay indoors more, which increases the chance of transmission.

Influenza can be especially dangerous to more vulnerable patients including those with respiratory issues, asthma, older patients, infants under two years old, and patients over 65.

Flu symptoms to watch for:

• A fever of 100°F or higher, or feeling feverish
• Headaches or body aches
• Fatigue
• Chills
• Nausea
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Cough and/or sore throat
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea

The best way for all patients to effectively fight off the disease each flu season is to get an updated vaccine each year. The flu virus changes and adapts annually to increase its chance of infection, which requires a new vaccine to be manufactured each year.

Get the latest flu vaccine to protect yourself against flu-related illnesses this season!

When do I need to get a flu shot?

Patients will want to get an updated flu shot should stay on the safe side by getting it as soon as flu season begins. While some patients wait until the peak of flu season, which is mid-September to early October, it is usually better to get a flu shot as soon as possible.

The flu vaccine takes some time in order to help your body build immunity towards the most recent strain of influenza. In addition, patients will need to get an updated flu shot since the virus changes each year. A new vaccine is manufactured annually to help protect patients.

How effective is an annual flu shot?

In general, the flu vaccine is between 40 and 60 percent effective in preventing the flu virus from infecting your body. This usually depends on how well the latest flu shot is able to match the latest strain of influenza. Regardless of the vaccine, the flu shot is still the best way to protect against the flu each year.

Between 2016 and 2017, the flu vaccine helped to prevent over 5 million flu cases, according to the CDC. The flu shot is also helpful in preventing illnesses and hospitalizations in vulnerable populations including older adults and younger children.

Does a flu shot cause you to get the flu? Is the flu shot safe?

A common misconception that you may have seen on social media or other online forums is that the flu shot causes the flu. Not only does a flu shot not cause the flu, but it is safe for the vast majority of patients.

When a new flu vaccine is made, the influenza viruses used to make it are killed and only used to help the body create immunity. This means that a patient is not being directly infected with a live influenza strain. But the vaccine takes two weeks in order to build immunity, which means that getting it sooner rather than later is helpful in preventing the flu.

Some patient groups should not get the flu shot and these include infants under the age of six months and patients with highly vulnerable medical conditions. Ask your doctor if you have any questions.

Fast, Easy Walk-in Flu Shot across Denver, CO

To get your flu vaccine today, simply book an appointment online or walk in to be seen by one of our doctors within minutes of coming through our front doors.

Our AFC Urgent Care Denver Locations are ready to give you fast, affordable flu shots

• Walk-in friendly
• Open 7-days a week
• In-network for most Colorado insurers
• Open extended hours
• Staffed by doctors and nurses

Our urgent care centers and walk-in clinics are just a short distance from local Denver neighborhoods including Speer, South Park Hill, Alamo Placita, West Highland, University Hills and other Denver, CO communities.