With this year’s flu season on the way, it is important to get as much information about it as possible. Find out what you need to know to protect yourself from this illness with the 2018 flu vaccine.
The flu season typically runs from mid-fall through mid-spring, although it can sometimes extend into late spring. Since this illness can cause life-threatening complications, you should take steps to reduce your risk of getting it. Find out more about seasonal influenza and flu shots from Smith-Caldwell, your local pharmacy with flu shots.
Seasonal Influenza
Seasonal influenza, also known as the flu, is a viral illness that can cause symptoms that are similar to the common cold. However, flu symptoms can be more severe and lead to serious complications. Some common symptoms of the flu include a fever, sore throat, runny nose, cough, and sore throat. When you have the flu, you might also have chills, fatigue and an achy body. The flu can increase the risk of getting pneumonia, which can end up requiring hospitalization. Other complications that can occur include kidney failure, heart inflammation, and brain inflammation.
Flu Prevention at a Pharmacy with Flu Vaccinations
You can take steps now to lower your chance of getting the flu during the 2018 flu season. These steps include:
- Washing your hands with water and soap, especially after being around those who are sick or in places that tend to have more germs, such as schools
- Avoiding contact with those who have the flu or other illnesses
- Keeping your mouth and nose covered with a tissue when you sneeze or cough, which helps prevent germs from spreading
- Keeping your hands away from your nose, eyes and mouth, since flu germs can enter your body this way
- Wiping down items and surfaces with disinfecting products to eliminate germs
- Getting a flu vaccine
Flu Vaccines and Flu Shots
Getting a flu shot provides you with protection from this illness. These vaccines help your immune system recognize and identify flu viruses, so that it can keep them from making you sick. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend getting your flu shot by the end of October, since it takes about 2 weeks for the vaccine to become fully effective. In fact, the CDC recommends that individuals who are at least 6 months old and up should get a flu vaccine for protection from this illness.
When you go to a pharmacy with flu vaccinations, you can ask which type of vaccine you should get. Keep in mind that these vaccines protect you from certain strains of flu viruses, which change from year to year. You can still get sick, but the risk of ending up with a serious illness is lower when you are vaccinated.
If you are looking for a pharmacy with flu shots, please contact Smith-Caldwell Drug Store at (501) 392-5470. Our compounding pharmacy offers flu vaccines to protect you from this illness this flu season.