Get Flu Shots in Tampa, Day or Night: Clinic Open 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. on Weekdays, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Weekends

Flu Shots Tampa FLFlu shots from South Tampa Immediate Care can help you and your family avoid the aches, pains, chills, fatigue, and fever that can disrupt your lives every flu season. Flu shots for the upcoming year become available in early September. Stop by our urgent care walk-in clinic at 602 South Howard Avenue in Tampa, Florida, to get your flu shot, no appointment necessary. Our courteous, professional medical staff is available to serve you from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends.

Flu Facts

Here are some important facts about the influenza virus that you may not already know:

  • The flu is contagious before symptoms develop, so it is possible to spread the virus even if you don’t know you have it.
  • Flu season usually begins in October and peaks in January, but it can extend well into May, which means that without a flu shot you could be susceptible to influenza for at least two-thirds of the year.
  • If you contract the flu and allow it to go untreated, you will be at risk for complications such as ear infections, sinusitis, bronchitis, and
  • Young children, pregnant women, senior citizens, and people who have asthma, diabetes, heart disease, or another chronic medical condition are especially vulnerable to the flu and its complications.

Why Are Annual Flu Shots Recommended?

If you received an influenza vaccine last year, do you need to get another one this year? Yes, you do. A panel of vaccine experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends annual flu shots for everyone age six months and older. The doctors at South Tampa Immediate Care agree that a yearly flu vaccination is the single most effective way to avoid getting sick with influenza and prevent its spread throughout the population.

Here’s why: Influenza viruses mutate at an extremely rapid pace. Therefore, to ensure adequate protection, the flu vaccine must be continually reformulated. Each year, a new flu shot formula is made available to target the most prevalent virus strains that are currently circulating.

Although the “one-year” flu shot recommendation is based on scientific research, it is important to understand that it is a guideline. The actual amount of time you will be protected from influenza after you receive your annual flu vaccine can vary depending on many factors; most notably, the strength of your body’s immune system and how it responds to the inactive flu virus contained in the vaccination. For example, if you are relatively young and healthy, your immune system may respond well to your flu shot and produce sufficient antibodies to protect you far beyond a year. On the other hand, if you are elderly or otherwise immunocompromised, your immune system may not respond as well to your flu shot, resulting in a shorter duration of protection. In general, most people can expect a flu shot to protect them from the most common influenza viruses for approximately one year.

Get Your Annual Flu Shot

While the protective effects of flu shots can vary, your best bet is to get one every year, and the best time is around late September. If you haven’t gotten yours yet, the team at South Tampa Immediate Care can take care of that for you. Stop by our acute care clinic and get vaccinated.

Our team is devoted to keeping residents of Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, and all surrounding areas as healthy as possible. In addition to flu shots and flu treatment, our Tampa medical clinic also offers sore throat treatment, pediatric urgent care, wellness physicals, vitamin B12 shots, work injury care, and a variety of other health care services.