2024 Flu Shot Appointments

Our pediatric staff is specially-trained to make shots a breeze.

Everyone seems to offer flu shots—from the school district to the in-store pharmacy at your grocery store.  While doctors agree that getting vaccinated is key, 85% of those surveyed recommend visiting your regular physician for that shot.

Utah Valley Pediatrics offers Flu Shot Clinics at some of our locations starting in late September and running through October and November.  

Please contact the office most convenient to you for a flu shot appointment.

What is the Flu?

Influenza, or the Flu, is a contagious respiratory illness caused by the influenza virus. It can cause mild to severe illness and sometimes, even death.

Most commonly, the Flu occurs in three types:

• Influenza B
• Influenza A (H1N1)
• Influenza A (H3N2)

More about the Flu Shot

The CDC recommends an annual Flu Shot for children six months and older with a few exceptions (see below on who should not get a Flu Shot).

• The Flu vaccine is needed every year because a person’s immune protection declines over time and Flu viruses change year to year.
• It takes about two weeks for the Flu vaccine to provide protection against the Flu.
• You can still get the Flu even if you have been vaccinated, though studies have shown that the Flu Shot can reduce the severity of illness in those cases.
• The CDC recommends to get vaccinated by the end of October, though getting vaccinated later can still protect you.
• People are most contagious in the first 3-4 days of illness

Who should not get a Flu Shot?

Children under 6 months old should not get a Flu Shot.

Fluzone, Flublok, or Fluzone High-Dose should not be given to anyone who has had a severe allergic reaction to any component of the vaccine (including eggs or egg products for Fluzone and Fluzone High-Dose). In addition, Fluzone and Fluzone High-Dose should not be given to anyone who has had a severe allergic reaction after a previous dose of any influenza vaccine. If any of the following is true, you should avoid the flu shot:

• You have an allergy to eggs, antibiotics or any other ingredients in vaccines
• You have had Guillain-Barré Syndrome
• You are not feeling well

How flu shots work

Every year scientists predict which will most likely be the three main flu strains that flu season. A vaccine is then created that causes antibodies to develop to provide protection against those strains.

While sometimes other strains may surface, the vaccine can still make your flu symptoms milder and help prevent complications. It is important to get a flu shot every year because the flu virus mutates from year to year.

The more (flu shots) the merrier

Flu vaccines work best when a high percentage of people in the community get vaccinated. Not only does the flu have fewer people to spread to, but it also protects those who are at high risk and aren’t able to receive a flu shot — like babies under six months old.

Flu vaccine side effects

Generally, people have no reaction to flu shots. Less than 25 percent of people have some redness and minor swelling at the injection site and about 5 percent experience a slight fever, chills and/or a headache within 24 hours. Symptoms only last a couple of days.

Come in on a convenient flu shot clinic day to get your family up to date on their flu vaccine!