Got the Flu Shot? Learn Why It's a Good Idea. | Knoxville, TN Walk-In Clinic

Fall is in the air. Can you feel it? And with the cooler temperatures on the horizon, our team at AFC Urgent Care Knoxville wants to remind you how to keep yourself and your family healthy during flu season.

What Are You Going to Do About the Flu?

If you could increase your odds of winning the lottery, would you? If you answered, “yes,” to this question, then we have another question for you. If you could decrease your chances of getting the flu, would you? Hopefully, your answer to this question is also “yes.” And if it is, we have the steps you need to take in order to lower your risk of getting the flu this year.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the flu among workers within the United States cost up to 111 million workdays at an estimated $7 billion a year in sick days and lost productivity. Do you want to be a part of the statistic?

If you don’t and you want to beat the odds against the flu, then obtain a flu shot at your earliest convenience. This annual vaccine is the best way to protect your health this season. Even if you were somehow to get a strain of the flu virus that isn’t included in the vaccine, your symptoms would be lessened because you received the vaccine. And we all know the symptoms of flu can be rough! Common symptoms include:

• Body aches
• Chills
• Cough
• Fatigue
• Fever
• Sore throat

Get the Facts on the Flu

Still on the fence about getting a flu shot? Get the facts about this recommended, important vaccine.

First, while recommendations call for most everyone age 6 months and older to be vaccinated against the flu, certain groups are at higher risk of developing flu-related complications. Older adults and young children, along with those who have compromised immune systems, should be vaccinated annually. In addition, pregnant women should also be vaccinated, since young babies cannot be vaccinated and are vulnerable to the virus.

Second, you have to get the flu vaccine every year in order to remain protected from the virus. Each year, different strains of the flu make their way into the environment. Last year’s flu vaccine wouldn’t necessarily protect you from the flu strains common this year. That’s why the flu vaccine is reformulated every year—and why you should get an annual flu shot to protect your health.

Finally, the flu shot does not give you the flu. This is a common myth and excuse that people give for not being vaccinated. But it’s simply not true. If a person comes down with the flu after being vaccinated, it’s because he or she had the flu already when receiving the shot, or if it’s later in the year, it’s because he or she was exposed to a different strain than the shot protects against.

‘Tis the season for the flu shot! Visit AFC Urgent Care Knoxville today if you and your family are in need of the yearly vaccine. Remember, no appointment is necessary, and we are open seven days a week.