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FLU SHOTS NOW AVAILABLE AT MD NOW URGENT CARE / WALK-IN
MEDICAL CENTERS OF PALM BEACH COUNTY, FLORIDA
Seasonal Flu Shots are now being given on a walk-in
basis at all MD Now Urgent Care Center locations
throughout Palm Beach County.
Palm
Beach Gardens, FL- August
30, 2009
– As one of the largest providers of Urgent Care walk-in
medical services in South Florida, MD Now Urgent Care
Centers are traditionally one of the first doctor’s
offices to receive the flu vaccine in Palm Beach County.
Today MD Now Urgent Care’s staff began administering the
seasonal influenza vaccine to local residents.
Peter
Lamelas, MD, the CEO and Medical Director of MD Now
Urgent Care Centers, is a former ER doctor and Emergency
Department Director for over seventeen years. He agrees
with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta
that this year could be the worst flu season the nation
has seen in recent history.
“We
have been seeing cases of Influenza A sporadically all
summer,” says Lamelas. “Unfortunately, about 90% of
these cases were the novel H1N1 influenza virus known as
Swine Flu. A new vaccine
against novel H1N1 is under production,
but we do not expect to have it until October. The
seasonal flu vaccine protects against the three seasonal
viruses that research suggests will be the most common
this coming flu season.”
Although
the seasonal vaccine will not protect you against novel
H1N1 virus, the CDC is recommending you get your
seasonal flu shot early this year, as it is the first
and most important step in protecting against the
seasonal flu.
“That’s because this
year”, says Lamelas, “the CDC expects flu activity to
rise ahead of the regular flu period and affect more
people than a typical flu season. It’s a serious
situation. While the average seasonal flu generally
affects and causes the most deaths among the elderly
population, the swine flu has been affecting children
and young adults most severely.”
According to the CDC, the
seasonal flu typically causes about 36,000 death and
200,000 hospitalizations every year, mostly among older
adults and high risk groups. On Monday, the White House
released a report that included estimates that another
30,000 to 90,000 people could die from the swine flu
this season, about twice the number of people who
typically die from seasonal flu, because people lack
immunity to the swine flu virus. Early estimates from
the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and
Technology predict swine flu may infect half the U.S.
population and hospitalize 1.8 million patients.
Who
should get the Seasonal Flu Shot?
“Anyone
who wants to reduce their chances of getting the flu.”
says Lamelas. “This year
the CDC recommends you get a seasonal flu vaccination
and the H1N1 flu vaccination as soon as it becomes
available. Vaccination
is especially important for people at
high risk of serious flu
complications, including young children, pregnant women,
people with chronic health conditions like asthma,
diabetes or heart and lung disease and people 65 years
and older.”
Here are three steps you
can take to reduce or prevent you and your loved ones
from the adverse effects of the flu this season:
Step # 1
– Take the time to get vaccinated.
The
single best way to protect yourself and others against
influenza is to get
a
flu vaccination each
year.
Step #2
– Take everyday preventative precautions.
Wash your hands regularly
and frequently with soap and water. Alcohol based hand
sanitizers are also effective in reducing the spread of
germs. Use disinfectants to routinely clean
frequently touched surfaces, like doorknobs, keyboards
and telephones. Avoid
touching your eyes, nose or mouth places where the flu
virus enters the body.
Step #3
– Take anti-viral drugs if recommended.
Antiviral drugs are not
sold over-the-counter and are different from
antibiotics. If you get the flu,
antiviral drugs can make
your illness milder and make you feel better faster.
Antiviral drugs work best if started within the first 2
days of symptoms. They may also prevent serious flu
complications.
For current
updates on influenza and our flu vaccine status, check
our website
http://www.MyMDNow.com/flu frequently for current
updates.
About
MD Now Urgent Care
MD Now
Urgent Care Centers is one of the largest providers of
urgent care walk-in and occupational medical services in
South Florida. The company currently has six locations
throughout Palm Beach County: West Palm Beach, Palm
Beach Gardens, Lake Worth, Royal Palm Beach, Boynton
Beach and Boca Raton, with plans to open two more
locations next year. Owned and founded by Peter Lamelas,
MD, MBA, the facilities are full service urgent care
centers and provide a wide spectrum of services,
including occupational medicine, drug and DNA testing,
school physicals, work physicals, tetanus shots, flu
testing, flu treatments, digital X-rays, onsite lab
work, confidential STD testing, car accident and on the
job injury medical care.
MD Now’s
urgent care centers provide an affordable alternative to
the emergency room and a quicker and more convenient
option than waiting for a doctor’s appointment. Each
location is open 365 days a year from 8:00am to 8:00pm,
including weekends and holidays. At MD Now Urgent Care
Centers, most patients are seen, treated and released in
less than an hour. All major insurance is accepted and
no appointment is necessary. A “Certified Urgent Care
Center,” by the Urgent Care Association of America. More...
Contact
Information:
Andy
O'Brian
Business Development Representative
9060 N Military Trail
Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410
561-622-2442
Toll Free 888-MDNOW-911
Email:
aobrian@mymdnow.com
To
learn more about MD Now Urgent Care Centers and Dr.
Peter Lamelas, our urgent care centers, visit
http://www.MyMDNow.com
or
http://www.MyMDNow.com/AboutUs.htm
Email:
info@mymdnow.com
http://www.MyMDNow.com
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