Yorktown Heights Vaccines at AFC Urgent Care

Need a Vaccination? Walk Into AFC Urgent Care Yorktown Heights!

As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. In other words, it's often easier to prevent health issues than it is to treat them once they've set in. Thanks to advances in medical research and science over the years, we have vaccines that can protect us from many types of diseases and infections. Receiving specific vaccinations sometimes referred to as immunizations safely helps the body's immune system fight off the corresponding illness before it can threaten your health or the health of those around you.

If you are in need of a particular vaccination, if your child is due for scheduled immunizations, or if you just want to ensure your family is protected, visit our walk-in care clinic. In addition to urgent care, AFC Urgent Care Yorktown Heights provides primary care, preventative care, and even COVID testing for the whole family. We work with many of the large (and some smaller) insurance plans.

Why Are Vaccinations Necessary?

Vaccinations play a vital role in preventing the spread of disease, working to minimize or even eliminate dangerous and sometimes fatal illnesses. For instance, thanks to immunizations, the U.S. and much of the world was able to eradicate polio before the 1980s. So, how do vaccinations work?

Infection is caused by germs entering the body, multiplying rapidly, and attacking healthy cells. The body's immune system is designed to battle these germs and get rid of illness, but it doesn't always know how to fight certain invaders. A vaccination acts sort of like a training session, introducing your immune system to a weakened, non-viable strain of the disease so your body can learn how to destroy it in the future or, in technical terms, your body creates antibodies.

Some of our most common walk-in vaccinations in Yorktown include:

• Influenza (flu shot)
• Measles/mumps/rubella (MMR)
• Diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTaP or Tdap)
• Varicella (chickenpox)
• Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B
• Pneumococcal
• Polio

Do Vaccines Have Side Effects?

Any vaccine may have minor side effects, but these will generally subside within a few hours to a few days. When you visit AFC Urgent Care Yorktown Heights for an immunization, your medical professional will go over any known or possible side effects specific to the vaccine you are receiving.

It is not unusual to experience one or more of these minor side effects following a vaccination:

• Pain, irritation, or swelling where you received the shot
• Joint or muscles aches
• Mild fever
• Headache
• Fatigue
• Chills

Vaccines rarely cause serious side effects and are generally much safer for your body than the diseases they prevent. For every million vaccinations given, only one to two people might experience a severe allergic reaction. If you do experience serious side effect following an immunization, be sure to contact your doctor right away.

Important Immunizations for Children

When children are born, some antibodies proteins necessary to fight diseases are passed on to them from their mothers. Antibodies are also present in breastmilk, as well. However, these inherited protections are only temporary.

Vaccinations are necessary to protect your child from dangerous illnesses, as well as to prevent children from spreading germs and infecting other children. Most immunizations should be completed by the age of 6, so it's important to keep track of which ones your child receives when. Schools often require specific vaccines before a child is allowed to enroll or attend classes, since children who are not immunized put others at risk of contracting potentially fatal diseases.

The medical experts at AFC Urgent Care Yorktown Heights are here to answer any questions you may have about immunizations, including which ones are recommended, at what age they should be administered, and any other considerations.

For convenient walk-in vaccinations in Yorktown Heights, visit our clinic or call (914) 825-4606.