Cold and flu season is upon us once more, and it is perhaps more important than ever to do what you can do to avoid getting sick. Since there are so many different illnesses circulating about, taking care of yourself is crucial!

This certainly includes getting your yearly flu shot if you haven’t yet. The flu shot can protect you from serious illness and can keep you out of the hospital. Read on from our AFC Urgent Care Greenwood team to learn more about what the flu shot can do for you.

Why Is the Flu Shot Different Every Year?

Viruses like influenza are constantly changing and evolving. Every year, there are new strains of the flu that circulate through our population. That means we need to adjust our flu shot to most accurately defend against the current circulating strains.

This is why it is important to get a new flu shot each year. The new shot best protects you from the strains of influenza that are most likely to get you sick.

Why a Yearly Flu Shot Matters

• It lowers your risk of death due to the flu.
• It minimizes your chance of requiring a hospital stay from the flu.
• The shot changes each year to tailor to the most common strain.
• The shot helps protect the whole community.

How Do I Know if the Flu Will Make Me Really Sick?

Unfortunately, there is no magic formula to know whether the flu will make you really sick this year. While you might just experience mild symptoms, you could also suffer an extreme inflammatory response or experience pneumonia on top of the flu, which can be dangerous and even deadly.

Even if you are destined to only experience mild symptoms, those around you might not be so lucky. Getting vaccinated helps protect the more vulnerable people in your life, like young children or older adults, from getting sick. Do your part in fighting the flu by getting vaccinated today!

Symptoms of the Flu

• Body aches
• Fever
• Cough/wheezing
• Sore throat
• Runny nose or congestion

Are you experiencing symptoms of the flu? Come see us at AFC Urgent Care Greenwood.