FAIRBORN — As part of National Influenza Vaccination Week, Wright State Physicians is offering influenza vaccinations at its walk-in flu shot clinic.
Flu shots will be offered 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Dec. 4, through Friday, Dec. 8 at the Wright State Physicians Health Center on the campus of Wright State University, 725 University Blvd.
The flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by viruses that infect the nose, throat and lungs. Symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills, fatigue and sometimes diarrhea and vomiting. Millions of people become ill from the flu each year. Hundreds of thousands of people are hospitalized and thousands of people die from the flu annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Doctors at Wright State Physicians recommend that the public get vaccinated against the flu.
“An annual flu vaccine is the best way to protect yourself and others from the flu,” said S. Bruce Binder, M.D., Ph.D., of Wright State Physicians. “When you get a flu vaccination, you protect not only yourself, but also the people around you, including babies and young children, older people and people with chronic health conditions.”
Binder says it is not too late to get vaccinated against the flu. While seasonal flu outbreaks can happen as early as October, flu activity is usually highest between December and February. It takes about two weeks after getting vaccinated for antibodies to develop in the body.
“Because flu activity is expected to increase in the next month, we are encouraging our patients to get vaccinated,” said Binder, associate professor and interim chair of the Department of Family Medicine at the Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine. “With the holidays approaching, now is the time to get vaccinated. You want to protect yourself and your family from the flu.”
To get a flu shot at the Wright State Physicians Health Center, go to the second floor of the building. Patients must present a valid photo ID and insurance card at the time of check-in. Most insurance companies cover the flu vaccine, but a copay may be required. Payment is due at the time of check-in for self-pay patients. For self-pay patients, the cost is $30. For more information, call 937-245-7200.
