Immunizations

Keeping your immunizations current helps prevent contagious illnesses from spreading and reduces your risk of severe outcomes like lengthy hospitalizations. At AssociatesMD, with offices in Plantation, Pembroke Pines, Fort Lauderdale, Davie, Weston, Margate, and Dania Beach, Florida, the team provides immunizations to adults. Whether it’s time for a seasonal flu shot or you need travel vaccines in preparation for a trip abroad, the team can help. Call the nearest AssociatesMD office today to schedule an immunization appointment, or book your visit online.

What are immunizations?

Immunizations, also called vaccines and vaccinations, teach your immune system to attack and destroy harmful viruses, bacteria, and other invaders. Immunizations won’t necessarily keep you from getting sick, but they can reduce symptom severity, protect your health, and stop the spread of contagious diseases.

Most immunizations are given by injection or nasal spray. Once the medication enters the body, it triggers the production of antibodies — proteins that combat disease.

How do immunizations work?

Immunizations work by exposing your immune system to harmless versions of diseases. This can take several forms, including:

• A protein or sugar from a pathogen
• A live but weakened pathogen
• A modified toxin from a pathogen
• A dead or inactivated pathogen

Once the pathogen enters your bloodstream, your immune system triggers an immune response. The immune response trains your immune system to attack that specific pathogen if it encounters it again.

Developing mild, flu-like symptoms is typical during your body’s initial immune response. For example, you might experience a mild fever, chills, and body aches. Though uncomfortable, these symptoms typically improve within 24 hours and show that the immunization is working.

What are some of the most common immunizations?

The AssociatesMD team administers various immunizations. Depending on your age, health history, and lifestyle, they’ll recommend:

• Seasonal flu vaccine
• COVID-19 vaccine
• Rotavirus
• Measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR)
• Hepatitis A
• Hepatitis B
• Human papillomavirus (HPV)
• Shingles
• Chickenpox (varicella)
• Diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTaP)

You might benefit from the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine if you’re 65 or older.

Do immunizations increase the risk of other health problems?

No. Immunizations don’t increase the risk of other health problems. There’s plenty of speculation online about the dangers of vaccinations but no proof to back up these claims. Moreover, immunizations undergo extensive testing before being released to the public.

Regulatory bodies like the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) conduct clinical studies to ensure no risk of severe side effects or complications. Some people react adversely to vaccines, but this is the exception, not the rule. Let your AssociatesMD provider know if you have allergies or a history of vaccine interactions.

Which immunizations will I need?

The AssociatesMD team makes personalized immunization recommendations. After reviewing your medical records and discussing your lifestyle, they develop an immunization schedule that aligns with your needs and public health and safety.

Call the nearest AssociatesMD office today to schedule an immunization appointment, or book your visit online.