Some diseases are endemic to the population; influenza (the flu) and COVID-19 are two viral diseases that haven’t been eradicated, and we, therefore, need to take precautions against them in the form of vaccines.
At Primary Care Walk-In Medical Clinic, with locations in Gilbert, Fountain Hills, Mesa, and Scottsdale, Arizona, Dr. Pankaj Chopra, Dr. Neha Maheshwari, and our team understand the importance of protecting against disease-bearing pathogens, so we offer immunizations for our patients at all of our offices.
If you’re on the fence about getting vaccinated against the flu and COVID-19 viruses, here’s why our practice highly recommends you and your family members get immunized for this winter’s “sick” season.
The flu is a viral infection that comes with several symptoms, including:
Some people with the flu may vomit or have diarrhea, though these symptoms are more common in children than adults. And it’s important to know that not everyone develops a fever.
The flu is more severe than the common cold and can lead to additional problems, like sinus or ear infections. It can also cause severe complications like:
The flu is also highly contagious, meaning it spreads from one person to another, especially when:
People can spread the flu before they know they’re sick — a vaccine can protect you.
COVID-19 is the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, a type of coronavirus never seen in humans before the outbreak (and eventually pandemic) that began in December 2019 and killed millions of people worldwide.
The virus spreads easily from person to person in close contact, primarily through airborne droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks. That’s why masking is effective — you can’t breathe in the droplets.
Touching a contaminated surface and then touching your face is another way to become infected, though to a lesser extent than airborne droplets.
People with COVID-19 may not know they have it and are spreading it because symptoms may not develop for 5-10 days.
Symptoms vary from person to person but can include:
If you have symptoms, you should get tested for COVID-19 and quarantine for the period dictated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Today, with vaccines and antivirals, most people get better within a couple of weeks, though some people experience “long COVID,” an as yet poorly understood continuation of symptoms.
Viruses mutate — that is, they change their genetic code over time, often making them more infectious and deadly. To keep pace with these changes and ensure public safety, doctors and researchers each year determine which strains of influenza and SARS-CoV-2 are the most likely to cause infection and manufacture a vaccine to combat them.
The vaccine primes your immune system to recognize the virus as a foreign invader and produce antibodies that attack and disable or kill it. Without it, you’re subject to severe illness and can spread the disease to others, especially those who aren’t vaccinated.
The first inactivated (a nonfunctional virus) flu vaccine, developed by Thomas Francis and Jonas Salk at the University of Michigan, was introduced to the public in 1945 to combat mutated forms of the H1N1 virus that caused the pandemic of 1918-1919.
The COVID-19 vaccines were developed in record time (about a year) to address the pandemic that began in 2020. Some manufacturers used a piece of the virus’s genetic code to trigger an immune response in patients and allow their bodies to fight the infection.
This year’s flu and COVID-19 vaccines will be available around mid-September or early October; getting them at that time will give you and your family protection against them throughout the winter and early spring months when the viruses are most prevalent.
If you haven’t yet received your flu and COVID-19 vaccinations, Primary Care Walk-In Medical Clinic can help. Call us at any of our locations to schedule your family's vaccinations or book online. It’s a quick and easy way to stay safe this winter.
