FLU SHOT NAPLES – Why you need one and why you should get it here
At First Care, we aim to dispel the myths about influenza, provide reliable information about the importance of the flu shot and how it looks when come to our clinic for your flu shot Naples.
How does a flu shot work?
When our body encounters a foreign substance – whether it is bacteria, a virus or something innocuous, like pollen – our immune system responds. First, it identifies the invader (the “antigen”), then it produces B lymphocytes to produce antibodies. The antibodies lock onto the antigen and the body’s T-cells then destroy them.
The antibodies then stay in your body to alert it to any attempted return of the antigen. If it reappears, the body is already prepared to fight it before it becomes an infection – which is why we rarely get chicken pox twice, for example.
This is the same way vaccines and antihistamines work. The influenza vaccine contains antigens from the flu but gives them to you in a way that will not infect you. Your body, though, learns to recognize the antigen and is prepared to fight it in case it tries to return.
Getting your flu shot in Naples at First Care ensures that you are protected against the flu. The yearly flu vaccination is typically effective in reducing the risk of flu in the general population by 40% to 60%, according to the CDC.
Flu Shot Naples – Who should get a flu shot?
The flu vaccine is recommended annually for all healthy individuals over 6 months of age who are not deathly allergic to one of the components of the vaccine. There are a few subgroups of people who are particularly susceptible to developing complications associated with the flu, including:
- Children under the age of 5 (especially those under the age of 2)
- Elderly adults over the age of 65 (especially those living in nursing homes)
- Pregnant women
Because the flu vaccine does not include the live virus, it is both safe and recommended for these subgroups to get a flu shot.
It is necessary to get it annually because the most common strains of flu change every year, and so does the composition of the flu injection. To be clear, the annual influenza vaccine does not work like a booster shot. You’ll be vaccinated against different strains of the flu each year.
What happens if you don’t get a flu shot?
For most people, getting the flu isn’t life-threatening. You might be laid up for a few days with fever, cough and sore throat. But the subgroups listed above – and those who are unable to get the vaccine for other health reasons – are at risk of complications. Those include minor things like sinus and ear infections, to worse things, like bacterial pneumonia, inflammation of the heart or brain, or even death. There are between 140,000 and 710,000 hospitalizations a year for flu and between 12,000 and 56,000 deaths, according to the CDC.
Flu shot Naples – Why is our clinic the best for getting flu shots?
You can get a flu shot in Naples at any number of clinics, but at First Care, there’s no need to make an appointment – you can just stop in any time we are open and get your flu shot. We are committed to ensuring that getting inoculated against the flu doesn’t have to be painful or inconvenient.
What happens after I get my flu shot?
Some people will have what appears to be an immune response – they may get a fever or nausea as the body learns what antigens are present and formulates the appropriate antibodies – but most people will feel no different, although their body is now better prepared to fight the flu.
Getting the flu vaccine will help you keep the most severe symptoms at bay should you get the flu, but more importantly – it means that those who cannot get the vaccine are still protected thanks to herd immunity. And in case you’re wondering, there are no links between autism and the flu vaccine.
Is it too late to get a flu shot in Naples?
It’s never too late to get a flu shot. Even if the season lasts from October to May, you can truly get it any time. So make it painless – come to First Care and get your flu shot in Naples today!