Make Time to Get Your Flu Shot Today

There is no better time than today, to get your flu shot. We know it’s not a very fun or exciting thing to do, but you will thank us when you’re not completely wiped out with a 101-degree fever, chills, and a horrible cough for a week. Plus, as we all know, there’s still that other virus called COVID, flying around, and other viruses are just starting to appear and take hold in our systems. So, get ready to roll up your sleeve and before you groan and tell me ‘Not today,’ keep these things in mind:

The flu shot protects you from the respiratory flu, not stomach bugs. The flu attacks your lungs and makes it difficult to breathe. Complications of flu can include bacterial pneumonia, ear infections, sinus infections, and worsening of chronic medical conditions, such as congestive heart failure, asthma, or diabetes.

The flu shot – wait for it ... does NOT give you the flu. Nope. It cannot give you the flu. The flu virus in the vaccine is "dead" and therefore cannot infect you. Now, you can feel icky, and you can have a reaction, but you do not get the flu from the flu shot.

Two weeks are needed to build your immunity to the flu virus. If you get sick within a week or so after getting a flu shot, you were exposed to the virus prior to your shot. Plus, weirdly enough, you can get the flu while the vaccine is building immunity, so that’s why it makes sense to get the shot earlier rather than later.

We know this one may throw some for a loop, but the flu vaccine is safe. Influenza vaccines go through many tests each year to determine we are getting a safe vaccine. We know we don’t trust anybody anymore, but the good news is the flu vaccine that we get has already been given to all the peeps in the southern hemisphere – so aye, we’re good. Our Aussie friends down under would tell us. Wouldn’t they?

Finally, if you don’t believe anything else at least believe this: It is not better to get the flu than the flu vaccine. The flu is a serious disease and can cause serious complications that can lead to death. People with asthma, heart disease, diabetes, or other chronic health conditions are at a higher risk of developing complications from the flu, along with pregnant women, children, and seniors.

So, you’re wondering where you can go immediately to get your flu shot, aren’t you? We have the answer: Hamilton Community Health Network. They are making it as easy as possible for you to wrangle up your kids and maybe your husband, and whoever else you can grab on the way to get those flu shots.

You can roll your sleeves up at:

• Their clinics during regular business hours; just call to make an appointment: 810-406-4246
  • Schedule an appointment so everything is in order and quicker.
• Car side at the clinic locations from 9am. – 4pm. They recommend an appointment, again, so it’s faster.
  • Drive on in, roll up your sleeve and poke – good to go.
  • Mondays – Main, 2900 N. Saginaw St. Flint
  • Tuesdays – Clio, 4154 W. Vienna Rd., Clio
  • Wednesdays – North Pointe, 5710 Clio Rd. Flint
  • Thursdays – Lapeer 1570 Suncrest Dr., Lapeer
  • Fridays – Burton, inside Fire Station No. 1 Bristol & Saginaw, Burton
• Or if you have some time in the evening between work and your kids’ games or their 20 other extracurricular activities, get on over to a clinic between 5pm and 7pm and come on in. They’ll be waiting for you in the lobby area. Check out their website or Facebook page to see which clinic is open that week as they’re rotating among their clinics. No appointment necessary for these evening jabs.
• Plus, they’ll be out in the community at flu shot pop-ups on Tuesdays and Thursdays and the weekends. Again, check out their website and Facebook page for more information.

Flu vaccines at Hamilton are No-Cost, meaning they will not charge anyone but will ask those who have insurance to bring their insurance cards, as flu vaccines are typically a covered benefit. This helps to cover the costs and allows them to continue to provide more vaccines in the community.

Now is the time to make time for your flu shot. For more information call 810-406-4246 for further information head on over to HamiltonCHN.org or Facebook.com/HamiltonCommunityHealthNetwork.