Are you ready for the holidays? Last year, many of you skipped out on getting both your COVID booster shots and your flu vaccines causing us to cancel our favorite holidays. We now know that after 2+ years of this pandemic, COVID and flu symptoms overlap making it important for everyone to get vaccinated for both viruses this time around. Afterall, we now have monkeypox to worry about (a triple threat)! 

AFC Urgent Care Norwalk now offers the quadrivalent flu vaccine and is here to help vaccinate our community and provide updated information on COVID-19. Here’s what you should know about the flu season of 2022 and how you can avoid all 3 viruses.

AFC Urgent Care Norwalk Offers The Updated 2022 Quadrivalent Flu Shots

There have been updates to the vaccines to better combat possible strains in the 2022/2023 flu season. Here an updated list from The CDC about the new components in the vaccines:

• The egg-based H1N1 vaccine component was updated from an A/Brisbane/02/2018 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus to an A/Guangdong-Maonan/SWL1536/2019 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus.
• The cell- or recombinant-based H1N1 vaccine component was updated from an A/Brisbane/02/2018 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus to an A/Hawaii/70/2019 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus.
• The egg-based H3N2 vaccine component was updated from an A/Kansas/14/2017 (H3N2)-like virus to an A/Hong Kong/2671/2019 (H3N2)-like virus.
• The cell- or recombinant-based H3N2 vaccine component was updated from an A/Kansas/14/2017 (H3N2)-like virus to an A/Hong Kong/45/2019 (H3N2)-like virus.
• The B/Victoria lineage vaccine component was updated from a B/Colorado/06/2017 (B/Victoria lineage)-like virus to a B/Washington/02/2019 (B/Victoria lineage)-like virus.
• The B/Yamagata lineage vaccine component was not updated.
• For the 2022-2023 flu season, there are three flu vaccines that are preferentially recommended for people 65 years and older. These are Fluzone High-Dose Quadrivalent vaccine, Flublok Quadrivalent recombinant flu vaccine and Fluad Quadrivalent adjuvanted flu vaccine.

It is important to remember that infants under 6 months should NOT receive a flu shot because their immune systems aren’t strong enough to handle the vaccine. 

Don’t Skip Out On Both Your COVID Booster Shot And Your Flu Shot

A flu shot will not protect you from COVID-19. Vice versa, a COVID-19 vaccine will not protect you from the flu. These are two entirely separate vaccines that are designed to protect against two different viruses. 

If you haven’t gotten your COVID-19 vaccine yet, The CDC announced that you can get the flu vaccine and COVID-19 at the same time. The same rule goes for anyone needing a booster shot for COVID-19. You can get both. The current booster shot for COVID is now updated and will protect you from the previous variants

If you need to get a flu shot, AFC Urgent Care in Norwalk, CT offers the quadrivalent flu vaccine 7 days a week.

Monkeypox Might Be An Issue This Flu Season, Too!

There has been an outbreak of Monkeypox in the U.S. and across the world in recent months, according to the CDC. Although Monkeypox (MPV) is found in many countries across Africa, the recent rise in infections has raised concerns for the well-being of our friends and families in Norwalk and the surrounding CT area. 

Symptoms of Monkeypox overlap with flu symptoms, but the most obvious symptoms are:

• Rash or Lesions (the most obvious symptom)
• Fever
• Headache
• Muscle aches
• Backaches
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Chills
• Exhaustion

As we’ve learned to take hygiene more seriously because of COVID, the same principles apply when avoiding Monkeypox. For instance, wearing a mask, washing your hands, isolating if you do get Monkeypox, getting vaccinated, etc. 

It’s best to follow up with The CDC guidelines on Monkeypox and how it’s spreading to avoid it this winter.

For information on the latest COVID booster and the Monkey Pox vaccine centers, please visit your local pharmacy or check the CT state DPH website for a link to available locations.

 

Walk-in Or Make An Appointment For Your Flu Shot at AFC Urgent Care Norwalk

The CDC recommends that everyone get their flu shots in September, or October before the start of the flu season. AFC Urgent Care Norwalk is aware of the possible twindemic and offers the quadrivalent vaccine 7 days a week. We now offer appointments to fit your schedule

 

AFC Urgent Care Norwalk  is open 7 days a week with extended hours on the weekdays from 8 am to 8 pm and we have weekend hours from 8 am to 5 pm. We also accept most insurances and we also offer COVID-19 testing 7 days a week with results on the same day with our RAPID COVID-19 testing service.