Flu Vaccine
Overview – Flu Vaccine
When flu season strikes, it is advisable to be prepared with the flu vaccine so that you or your loved ones don’t get sick. At the iCare ER & Urgent Care in Frisco and Fort Worth, TX our staff is proud to offer easy and affordable protection against the flu. Please call ahead for availability of vaccines.
Since the flu virus changes every year, the vaccine is adapted to protect against the three strains that research has determined will cause the greatest illness. If you are properly vaccinated at the beginning of flu season, you can protect yourself from getting sick with the flu, or if you contract a strain of the flu that is not in the vaccine, you may greatly reduce your symptoms. Flu shots also help to stop the spread of the flu, protecting those around you who may not have access to the vaccine, or cannot be vaccinated for other medical reasons.
What to Expect
To receive the flu vaccine at iCare, you do not need to make an appointment. Our team will prepare a shot for you in the urgent care section of our facility. To ensure that you are in good health to receive the flu shot, one of our medical practitioners will perform a physical exam and check your vital signs. Once cleared by the physician, a nurse will clean and sterilize the skin, and inject the flu vaccine.
How It Works
The flu shot helps protect your body against an outbreak of the flu each year. By introducing a dead or weakened form of the influenza virus, your immune system is stimulated and is prepared with the right antibodies to fight off the same strain of the infection later in the year.
When to Get Vaccinated
You should receive a flu shot every year, since the dominant strains that cause this illness change each year. Waiting until flu season starts in late October can be risky, since flu season can come early at times, or supplies may run out. The vaccine can also take more than 2 weeks to create the proper antibodies to fight against the virus, so getting the vaccination as early as possible creates the safest results.
Our team at iCare recommends coming in for the flu vaccine during the months of August or September in order to better protect yourself. It is especially important to get vaccinated if you are pregnant, older than 50, work in healthcare, have a weakened immune system or chronic health problem or care for a child younger than 5 years old. Children younger than 5 should be vaccinated as early in the season as possible. However, infants younger than 6 months should not be exposed to the flu vaccine, as well as those with an egg allergy. iCare does not currently administer Flu vaccines for children under 2 years of age. If you have had a serious reaction to the vaccine in the past, have a recent history of Guillain-Barre Syndrome, or have a moderate to severe fever or illness at the time of the injection, you should not receive the flu shot.
