Vaccines Explained

One of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of disease is through

immunizations. By receiving vaccines, you can either completely eliminate the risk of getting certain diseases or decrease your risk significantly. Vaccines work by protecting us from viruses or bacteria that can cause disease and by minimizing the chance of spreading this disease to other people. Let’s all do our part to keep our families and communities safe!

What Are Vaccines?

Vaccines are created by weakening certain viruses or bacteria so they can’t cause disease. The weakened viruses or bacteria are then grown in laboratories. The final product is a vaccine that helps protect people from diseases.

Vaccines help prevent illnesses by prompting the body to make antibodies. Antibodies are proteins that fight off infections. When you get vaccinated, you develop immunity to the disease. This means that if you are ever exposed to the virus or bacteria, your body is primed and ready to fight it off, which can help prevent you from getting sick.

How Effective Are Vaccines?

Some vaccines have completely or almost completely eradicated diseases like smallpox and polio. Other vaccines prevent you from getting more severe cases of certain diseases. For example, one dose of the varicella vaccine is 82% effective at preventing chickenpox and 100% effective at preventing a severe case of chickenpox. With the creation of vaccines, children and adults are far less likely to die from infectious diseases like chickenpox, influenza and tetanus.

Are Vaccines Safe?

All vaccines go through extensive testing before being approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Vaccines are generally very safe, although side effects can occur. This is because everyone reacts differently to different medications. Some vaccines will cause a short period of flu-like symptoms or soreness in the arm that received the vaccine. You can find more information about possible side effects here.

If you have just received a vaccine and experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor right away:

• Dizziness
• Vision changes
• Ringing in the ears
• Severe pain in the shoulder and difficulty moving the arm where you received the vaccine

Available Vaccines at AFC Urgent Care Princess Anne

We offer a variety of routine vaccinations here at AFC Urgent Care Princess Anne in Virginia Beach, VA: