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Staying current on your vaccines is one of the easiest ways to protect your health and reduce your risk of contagious illness. At Express Urgent Care in Diamond Bar, California, Sukhvir Singh, MD, Jaspreet Singh Nanra, MD, and Amrit Pal Dhillon, PA-C, administer vaccines to people of all ages. Whether your child needs vaccines to enroll in school or you’re preparing to travel abroad and need to update your immunizations, the team can help. Call the Los Angeles area practice today to schedule a vaccine appointment or book your visit online.
Are vaccines necessary if I’m in good health?
Yes. Receiving routine vaccinations is one of the most effective ways to protect your health.
Vaccines, or immunizations, teach your immune system to identify and defend against harmful invaders, like viruses and bacteria. More specifically, vaccines trigger the production of antibodies –– unique proteins that reduce your risk of severe outcomes like hospitalization and death.
Getting vaccinated is important, even if you’re in good health. Vaccines provide peace of mind while protecting your family and the community as a whole.
How do vaccines work?
Vaccines work by exposing your immune system to a:
- Dead or inactivated pathogen
- Live but weakened form of a pathogen
- Protein or sugar from a pathogen
- Modified toxin (toxoid) from a pathogen
Your provider administers them via an injection or a nasal spray. Once the vaccine enters your body, it goes to work building a defense.
What vaccines will I need?
The Express Urgent Care team develops a personalized vaccine schedule for each patient. Depending on your age and medical history, they might suggest one or more of the following vaccines:
- Rotavirus (RV)
- Diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping cough (DTaP)
- Inactivated polio vaccine (IPV)
- Seasonal flu shot
- COVID-19
- Measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR)
- Hepatitis A
- Human papillomavirus (HPV)
- Meningococcal conjugate
If you’re 50 or older, the team might also recommend the shingles and pneumococcal vaccines.
Are vaccines safe?
Vaccines are safe and typically well-tolerated. After receiving an injection, it’s normal to experience mild swelling, bruising, and redness at the injection site. You might also experience flu-like symptoms for a day or two, such as a low-grade fever, body aches, and nausea.
These side effects should improve within 48 hours, but contact Express Urgent Care if they continue.
Vaccines do not increase the risk of autism or cause other health problems. All immunizations undergo years of testing and review before being released to the public. What’s more, they’re assessed by regulatory authorities like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Do vaccines require more than one shot?
Most vaccines are administered only once. But certain immunizations, like the COVID-19 vaccine, require annual boosters. A booster is a second dose of the vaccine. It helps strengthen your immune system and protects against different strains of viruses or bacteria.
Call Express Urgent Care today to schedule a vaccine appointment for yourself or your child, or book your appointment online.