Even though flu season has already begun, it doesn’t mean it’s too late to get a flu shot. In fact, flu season – according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) – often lasts as late as May, depending on the year. Historically, January and February have the highest rate of infection, so it is important to get vaccinated as soon as possible – especially considering how the vaccine takes an estimated two weeks before it becomes effective.
At AFC Urgent Care Methuen, we still have plenty of flu shots in stock. We offer flu shots at an affordable cost, which are available any day of the week on a walk-in basis. We prioritize the health of our fellow Essex County residents, so we made our services as accessible as possible. We also understand how fast life moves nowadays, so we make it a point to get our patients in-and-out the door as fast as possible.
People often associate influenza with the common cold, seeing as both viruses target the body’s respiratory tract, but the truth is that the flu is far worse. While colds are synonymous with the innocuous “sniffles”, flu symptoms include more than just congestion and sneezing. Influenza induces throbbing headaches, along with fevers, muscle soreness, and sometimes nausea and vomiting.
The severity of the flu’s symptoms worsens depending on age. Young children will frequently experience extreme nausea, while it’s rare for adults under 60 to feel any nausea. Seniors are often bedridden for several days whenever they contract the flu because their immune system has weakened over the years. People over the age of 64 invariably account for the highest rate of hospitalization each year. However, certain seasons occasionally yield staggeringly high rates of hospitalization for patients between 18-64. Some flu seasons even show a steep rise is flu casualties, as certain years yield worse strands of the flu. In 2011, the CDC reported people between 25-64 years of age only accounted for 18% of flu deaths. But in 2009, that same age group made up 64% of the flu’s casualties. This illustrates why it’s never a good idea to forgo your flu shot because you think you’re healthy enough to fight off the flu.
The CDC highly recommends that everyone, regardless of their age, receives a flu shot. Their data estimates that the vaccine prevented 67,000 hospitalizations last year, in addition to a possible 1.9 million infections. With flu shots as accessible as they are nowadays, there’s no reason to not get vaccinated. Just visit us at AFC Urgent Care Methuen, and we’ll make sure you’re ready to combat the flu!
Visit us any day of the week to take advantage of our services or call us now at 978-975-0700 for more information. We look forward to taking the “flu” out of flu season!