Houston’s Flu Shot Providers
Nobody wants to get the flu. The flu is miserable and can interfere with your busy life. Some strains of the flu can cause serious illness, even death. Don’t take the chance. It’s important to protect yourself and your loved ones by getting a flu shot.
At Doctors Clinic Houston, our caring, expert staff can provide you and your family with the protection you need and deserve.
We have offices located throughout the greater Houston area and can provide flu shots that can offer protection from different types of flu, including swine flu, H1 flu and type A flu. Don’t let the flu run you down. Protect yourself and your family by contacting Doctors Clinic Houston today and arranging an appointment for a flu shot.
Flu shots are no fun, but they pale in comparison to the experience of an actual flu. For those interested in preventing the incurment of the flu, flu shots are the most efficient and effective method for doing just that. It may seem like a hassle to make a trek to the doctor to get a flu shot, but an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.
What is a flu shot?
A flu shot is an influenza vaccine administered by injection. Its purpose: to prevent the incurment of the flu, a highly contagious viral infection of the respiratory passages causing fever, severe aching, and catarrh, and often occurring in epidemics.
Where can I get my flu shot?
Doctors Clinic has 6 convenient locations – all of them offering the influenza vaccine. Give the size of Houston, and the severe traffic, the doctors at Doctors Clinic Houston wanted to make it as easy for you as possible to find a professional, reliable clinic.
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Flu Shots
Influenza is a viral illness commonly referred to by an abbreviated term, “the flu.” What doctors consider the flu covers a fairly wide range of contagious respiratory illnesses with different symptoms and levels of severity. Typically, flu season occurs during the fall and winter months, starting around October and November, peaking between December and March, and ending by the end of May.
In order to prevent catching the flu, doctors advise getting a flu shot on an annual basis. The vaccine for the flu is made from the same antibodies your body naturally produces to fight the flu infection. In addition, the vaccine is continually updated to counter changes in the flu virus itself. Taking a flu shot provides moderate to high protection against contracting the illness, which will in turn increase a person’s productivity and decrease their likelihood of passing the virus to others.
Flu Symptoms
Flu symptoms can often feel indistinguishable from those of the common cold, as both are contagious illnesses that affect the respiratory system. However, flu symptoms are often worse in severity and duration. Here are some flu signs to look for:
- High fever
- Chills throughout body
- Extreme fatigue
- Joint/muscle pain
- Red and watery eyes
- Chest congestion
- Sore throat
- Sneezing and runny nose
- Dry cough
- Headache
- Nausea
- Diarrhea and upset stomach
The flu virus can be spread through person-to-person contact with respiratory secretions such as kissing or holding/shaking hands with a person who has the flu. For this reason it is important that people take precautions against catching the flu by washing their hands on a consistent basis and by getting a flu shot.
Flu Types
There are three main types of flu virus: influenza A, influenza B and influenza C. Each of the these three flu types vary in their overall effects, but all can be prevented with the flu virus.
- Type A flu virus – this common form of influenza is capable of affecting people and animals alike. The virus is relatively rare in humans but can become deadly if they contract it. Because type A flu is commonly spread by wild birds, it is often referred to as avian influenza. These birds shed the virus through their saliva, mucous and feces. Type A mutates remarkably quickly and can be categorized into a number of unique subtypes. These reasons help contribute to type A flu as the culprit behind many large flu epidemics.
- Type B flu virus – in contrast to type A, type B flu is relatively less common and is exclusive to humans. Though type B symptoms may be less severe and its mortality rate lower, it can still be a deadly virus if not properly treated. However, because the virus is generally transmitted between humans it is less likely than type A to cause a pandemic. Type B is broken down into individual strains, as opposed to subtypes, that tend to mutate slower than type A flu. People with type B flu tend to feel their symptoms most severely in the first several days, but the majority of them recover with bed rest, fluids and doctor-prescribed medicines.
- Type C flu virus – like type B, type C flu is typically found in humans. It is also a considerably milder form of the flu than either type A or B and has not been linked to any flu pandemics. The primary symptoms of type C flu are similar to that of the cold, with fever, runny nose, dry cough and headache among the telltale signs. With that said, type C should be taken seriously as it can result in bronchitis and pneumonia if not treated.
The Centers for Disease Control (or CDC) recommends that everyone get a flu shot as soon as they become available throughout the flu season. Prevention is key in treating the flu in order to avoid a lengthy period of sickness or worse. Getting regular flu shots is important since the body’s immunity to the vaccine fades over time and new vaccines have to be developed to keep pace with changes in the virus.
To get your flu shot that wards off various forms of flu, stop by your local Doctors Clinic Houston office!
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