Naperville, Ill., (PRWEB) October 10, 2017
With cold and influenza (flu) season upon us, the Urgent Care Association of America (UCAOA) is helping consumers get Urgent Care Prepared by encouraging them to visit their local urgent care center – the best place to receive flu vaccinations and other key winter healthcare services. After all, the more people in the community that receive the flu vaccination, the healthier everyone is.
“Urgent care centers are uniquely positioned to help individuals and families during this upcoming flu season, as they offer an affordable, convenient healthcare option to treat non-life- or limb-threatening illnesses,” said UCAOA President Pamela Sullivan, MD, MBA, FACP, PT. “Consumers who are Urgent Care Prepared will know that their local urgent care centers have flexible hours and short wait times, with many offering call ahead scheduling or online registration to expedite patient visits. Urgent care centers offer a wide range of services to treat the flu, including vaccines, testing and prescriptions for antiviral medications as needed.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone six months or older (without contradictions) gets an injectable influenza vaccine, ideally by the end of October, to protect against the flu. Since it takes about two weeks after vaccination for protective antibodies to develop in the body, the time is now to make plans to get vaccinated, as influenza is already being diagnosed in some communities this year.
Luckily, patients can prepare for flu season by visiting WhereIsUrgentCare.com to find one of the more than 7,300 conveniently located urgent care centers across the country. By simply knowing where to go, anyone can get a head start on combating the flu and know where to turn for a wide variety of other healthcare needs.
The best way to prevent the flu is to get vaccinated at a local urgent care center. UCAOA also encourages taking additional steps to avoid getting sick, such as:
- Get sufficient sleep, eat well, drink a lot of water, exercise and reduce stress
- Stay home when you are sick to avoid spreading the virus. If you must go out, keep a good distance from others
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing
- Regularly clean often-used surfaces in your home such as counter tops and bathrooms
- Wash hands often with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer to avoid spreading of germs and viruses
- Avoid close proximity to sick family, friends and co-workers
- Keep your hands away from your eyes, nose and mouth
With walk-in, after-hours and weekend availability, urgent care centers offer convenient access to flu shots, cold and flu treatment and more for busy patients. In addition, most urgent care centers are equipped to provide a wide-array of on-the-spot services for a variety of minor illnesses and injuries – along with seasonal needs such as fall sports physicals – when families need it most.
“It’s easy to get prepared for the cold and flu season, as your local urgent care center is an ideal convenient and affordable option for flu immunization and many other common non-life- or limb-threatening medical needs for your family,” said Dr. Sullivan. “Check with your local center to see if they offer flu immunizations for children under the age of 18. Our qualified healthcare professionals are ready to quickly get you in and out by providing quality care so you can enjoy great health.”
Get Urgent Care Prepared today by visiting WhereIsUrgentCare.com.
About the Urgent Care Association of America
The Urgent Care Association of America (UCAOA) is a membership association for urgent care health and management professionals, clinics and those who support the urgent care industry. UCAOA provides educational programs in clinical care and practice management, has a monthly Journal of Urgent Care Medicine and maintains an active online presence and member community for daily exchange of best practices. UCAOA provides leadership, education and resources for the successful practice of urgent care for its members. For more information visit http://www.ucaoa.org.