With flu season fast approaching, Audubon County Memorial Hospital & Clinics’ walk-in flu shot clinic is a quick and convenient way to get your flu shot!
Getting vaccinated not only protects you, but also those around you who may be too young (under six months) or have a medical condition that prevents them from being vaccinated. This year’s annual flu shot will offer protection against three or four of the influenza viruses expected to be in circulation this flu season, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The CDC recommends that everyone six months of age or older be vaccinated annually against influenza. Flu vaccine causes antibodies to develop in the body about two to three weeks after getting a flu shot. These antibodies protect you against infection from the most likely types of flu viruses in the upcoming flu season. It takes about two weeks for the flu shot to take full effect.
People often worry that the flu vaccine can give you the flu. The CDC confirms that the flu vaccine can’t give you the flu, but you might develop flu-like symptoms. Reasons for these flu-like symptoms include a reaction to the vaccine, you might have been exposed to the influenza virus shortly before or after you receive the flu shot and before the two-week window required for the flu shot to take full effect, or you might have another illness, such as the common cold, which can produce flu-like symptoms. Some people may have a low-grade fever, headache, or muscle aches after a flu shot, but these symptoms usually go away after one or two days. The most common side effects from a flu shot are soreness, redness, or swelling at the spot where the shot was given.
Audubon County Memorial Hospital and Clinics has made it more convenient for you to get your flu shot with extended walk-in evening hours. Flu shots are available at both Audubon Family Health Clinic and Exira Medical Clinic. We will have extended walk-in hours for flu shots in Audubon over the next few weeks! Stop in any time between 5-7pm during our extended hours including September 27, October 4, October 11, October 18, and October 25. No appointment is necessary. Many insurance plans cover flu shots, so be sure to bring your insurance card with you. For more information, call 712-563-4611 in Audubon or 712-268-5348 in Exira.
