The Flu Vaccine: Your Family’s Best Protection

I often have parents tell me that they vaccinate against the flu because they don’t want sniffles, fevers, and body slowing down their family. This is certainly a valid reason for receiving the flu shot, but it’s important to remember that the flu
can be much more than an uncomfortable inconvenience; each year thousands of lives are lost to flu-related illnesses. The best form of protection, which has proven itself effective year after year, is the flu vaccine.

During the 2014-2015 flu season, the flu shot prevented an estimated 1.9 million flu-related illnesses and 67,000 flu-related hospitalizations (CDC). Flu can also lead to serious complications, such as pneumonia and bronchitis, or make chronic health problems, like asthma or bronchiolitis, worse. We’re making an extra effort at the practice this year to encourage all of our asthma patients to receive the vaccine, because exacerbating breathing difficulty is not something to be taken lightly.

A flu vaccine doesn’t just help protect you- it also helps protect those around you like seniors, babies younger than 6 months who cannot receive the vaccine, and immunocompromised children who are more vulnerable to the flu. This concept, called “herd immunity,” means that you are taking proactive steps toward protecting your health and the health of our community.

There are two ways that you and your family can receive the flu shot at our offices: during a regular appointment, or at a flu clinic. If you find yourself in the office for a well exam or a non-fever related reason, you can simply tell the nurse that you’d also like a flu shot before you leave. Alternatively, we have 4 flu clinic dates in which you can bring your whole family (parents, grandparents, your older child who is home from college) for a quick and easy poke. This year’s flu clinics will be held:

September

Saturday 9/24 –Coppell Office, 9:00am-2:00pm

Thursday 9/29 –Flower Mound Office, 4:00-7:00pm

October
Saturday 10/15 -Coppell Office, 9:00am-2:00pm

Thursday 10/20 -Flower Mound Office, 4:00-7:00pm

Saturday 10/29 -Coppell Office, 9:00am-2:00pm

November

Thursday 11/3 -Flower Mound Office, 4:00pm-7:00pm

The flu vaccine is the single best way to help protect yourself and your family members from getting the flu. Be sure you and your loved ones get vaccinated against the flu this year every year.