Schedule Your Flu Shot Today
By Harbor View Medical Services, PC
The seasonal flu vaccine is the best way to protect yourself and others from the flu. Everyone from the age of 6 months and older needs to get a flu shot (vaccine) every year. The seasonal flu vaccine is the best way to protect yourself and others from the flu. For many people, the seasonal flu is a mild illness. But for some people, the flu can be dangerous or even deadly.
The flu can sometimes:
- Cause serious infections like pneumonia (“noo-MOHN-yah”)
- Make existing health problems worse (for example, flu can cause asthma attacks in people with asthma)
- Lead to hospitalization or death
The flu spreads easily from person to person. When you get a flu vaccine, you don’t just protect yourself.
You also protect everyone around you.
When do I need to get the seasonal flu vaccine?
Get a flu vaccine soon after it’s available each year – if possible, by October. After you get the vaccine, it takes about 2 weeks for your body to develop protection against the flu. That’s why it’s a good idea to get the vaccine before the flu starts to spread in your community.
According to Christine Fruth, DO from Mather Primary Care in Port Jefferson, "No one should ever have their winter ruined by a miserable case of the flu, especially when it's so easy to get immunized. Please get your shot!"
Flu season can be different from year to year. It can start as early as October and last as late as May. Most years, flu season is between December and February.
Mather Primary Care provides comprehensive, compassionate, and continuous care to patients and their family members. Our physicians are skilled in comprehensive first contact and continuing care for patients with any undiagnosed sign, symptom, or health concern not limited by problem origin (biological, behavioral, or social), organ system, or diagnosis.