Immunizations & Flu Shots
Vaccinations, immunizations, and flu shots should be a very vital part of your regular health routine to prevent major diseases from taking over your body and even your local community. From childhood to adulthood, vaccinations are just another part of your wellness plan that you can find here at Louetta Family Medicine.
Before vaccines became a part of our healthcare system, people remained largely at risk for very deadly diseases. If you were immunocompromised, elderly, or had any underlying medical issues, you would fortunate to survive or may have developed lifelong consequences from infectious disease. With vaccines readily available, diseases such as mumps, rubella, whooping cough, polio, and diphtheria are no longer as common nor as deadly as they were in the past. Studies have shown that when immunization rates drop, preventable diseases begin to rise. A consistent vaccination plan for you and your family can prevent an outbreak of disease in both your family and your community (school, work, or church).
What are vaccines and how do they prevent disease? A vaccine is a product that stimulates a person’s immune
system to produce immunity to a specific disease, protecting the person from that disease. Vaccines are usually administered through needle injections, but can also be administered by mouth or sprayed into the nose. Your immune system develops a memory of how to fight the illness in the form of antibodies so that your body can respond quickly to the disease if you are exposed. If you do happen to become infected, the disease will most likely have a lesser effect than if your immune system were to deal with it for the first time.
Why are yearly flu shots important? Influenza (the flu) has been known to make an appearance every year and with each year, the strain tends to be different. The best way to prevent the flu is by getting a flu vaccine each season, which begins in the fall. The CDC recommends that everyone 6 months of age and older get annual flu vaccinations. Vaccination can reduce the severity of influenza illness as well as prevent flu-related doctors’ visits or hospital stays.
If you have questions or need to schedule a vaccination appointment, call Louetta Family Medicine. Put your health in our hands and let us keep you and our community safe with prevention.
