As a reliable and modern family practice in Lawrenceville, Ga., we treat many influenza patients throughout the year, but especially during the flu season. Getting vaccinated against the flu makes sense for the following reasons:

Anyone Can Get the Flu

The elderly, the very young and people with chronic illnesses are most susceptible to getting the flu because of their compromised or underdeveloped immune system, but the truth is that anyone — even healthy individuals — can catch influenza and get very sick. The flu can sometimes be serious enough to warrant hospitalization. It is a highly transmittable disease, which makes it a real threat to any community or closed environment.

The Flu Vaccine Is Effective

Around two weeks after you get a flu vaccination, antibodies develop in your body that will protect you from getting infected by viruses that are in the vaccine. Traditional flu vaccines (called trivalent vaccines) protect you from three flu viruses – two influenza A viruses (H1N1 and H3N2) and an influenza B virus. Some flu vaccines (called quadrivalent vaccines) protect against a fourth flu virus (another influenza B virus). The vaccines are developed to protect against the flu viruses that are expected by research to be the most common viruses for each flu season.

You Can Easily Spread the Flu to Others

Even if you typically bounce back from a bout with the flu, this may not be the case for the people within your close circle or immediate community. This includes not only your immediate family and friends, but also your co-workers, the people in your car pool, the regulars at your gym, etc. You can also unknowingly transmit the virus to a complete stranger, like the person sitting next to you on the bus or the person waiting behind you at the bank. Getting a flu vaccination each year prevents more people from getting sick and protects a community’s most vulnerable members.

Our Gwinnett physicians are experienced and caring professionals who put the well-being and health of their patients above all. Minutes away from the Gwinnett medical center, our clinic is centrally located for the convenience of many of our patients. We are also a medical weight loss center, and we are proud to have aided many of our patients to live healthier, fuller lives with the help of effective weight loss treatments. Visit our Gwinnett family clinic to get the medical care and attention you need right away. Request an appointment today.