Boulder's Trusted Local Vaccination Clinic
To protect you and your child from various diseases, one of the most effective ways is through immunization. Getting vaccinated equips the immune system with the knowledge to fight off common infections, viruses, and bacteria. When diseases like rubella, rabies, and whooping cough infect a person, the body needs to respond properly and prevent any complications from happening.
If you’re looking for a vaccination clinic that can provide immunization shots for an array of diseases, Crossroads Medical Center is here to help.
Contact us now to schedule an appointment.
What’s the Difference Between Immunizations & Vaccinations?
Today, “immunization” and “vaccine” are used interchangeably to mean any type of shot that stimulates the body’s immune system against a specific type of disease. However, there is a difference between the two terms.
Immunization — according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) — is the process of making a person partly or completely resistant to a particular infection through vaccination. On the other hand, a vaccine is a product that’s meant to create an immune response. There are many types of vaccines, from weakened forms of a virus to Messenger RNA (mRNA), but they all work to make the immune system “familiar” with a specific disease.
Consider the Benefits of Vaccinations
A Preventative Measure
The main purpose of a vaccine is to prevent a disease from harming the body in case you get infected. The shot works by triggering the immune system to create antibodies for a specific virus or bacteria. When these microorganisms enter the body, the immune system can easily recognize them and mount up a defense. This quick and effective response prevents the viruses and bacteria from multiplying and causing infections.
Since vaccines prevent serious illnesses, you won’t experience anything associated with a particular disease, like its symptoms and life-altering effects. You’d also avoid hospitalization and high medical bills — common issues that some Americans have to deal with after getting vaccine-preventable illnesses.
Safe & Effective
There has been a lot of conversation about the efficacy and safety of vaccines. It’s perfectly understandable if you have doubts about these medical procedures. Thankfully, you can be confident that vaccines are safe and effective measures to prevent diseases.
Vaccines pass through one of the most stringent testing processes for any type of medical treatment. First, vaccines must undergo screenings and evaluations to see if the antigens do invoke an immune response. These shots must also pass through human trials and the standards set by the CDC and FDA. Through these assessments, you can be assured the vaccine is potent and safe for your body.
Promotes Herd Immunity
Herd immunity refers to the concept that an infection has a harder time spreading from person to person when many people are immune to it. This phenomenon is how we were able to eliminate smallpox globally and various other diseases in local settings.
Not everyone can get vaccines, such as those who have weakened immune systems or underlying complications. However, herd immunity brought by vaccination can protect these individuals. When the virus or bacteria can no longer infect anyone, it simply disappears from that community.
What Side Effects Should You Expect
Depending on the type of vaccine you get, you may experience a few side effects. Some of the most common ones are fever, muscle aches on the injection site, and swelling. However, these go away after a few days. Since vaccines are heavily tested, they usually don’t cause any severe or life-threatening side effects. They can happen, but dangerous reactions are very rare.
You can talk to our healthcare experts to discuss these side effects, underlying conditions that may affect vaccine delivery or immune response, and other concerns you may have about these shots.
Most Insurance Accepted
Types of Vaccines Offered at Crossroads Medical Center
Some types of vaccines can protect you your entire life, so you typically get them once during your childhood and never need them again. On the other hand, there are ones whose effects can wear off after a few years. You’ll need to get another dose or booster shots to rebuild your immunity and prevent the spread of infection.
These are the type of vaccines that you need to get multiple times throughout your life:
- Seasonal Influenza Vaccine: Get protected against influenza by getting your yearly flu shot. This vaccine is especially recommended for people with underlying chronic issues, senior citizens, and pregnant women.
- Td Vaccine: Your immunity against tetanus and diphtheria weakens every decade or so. To boost your immune system against these diseases, make sure to get booster shots every 10 years.
- Rabies: If you’re traveling to another place or got bitten by a pet or unfamiliar animal, you need to get rabies shots to prevent the disease from spreading to your brain and causing lethal effects.
Vaccines for Children and Adolescents
Newborns, toddlers, and adolescents must also get vaccines to gain long-term immunity from the following diseases:
- Hepatitis A and B: Hepatitis is an infection in the liver, with Hepatitis A coming from contaminated food and Hepatitis B transmitted through blood and other bodily fluids.
- HPV: Human papillomavirus or HPV causes genital warts and even cancers in the reproductive system. Kids as young as nine can get HPV vaccines to mount immunity from the virus.
- Polio: Polio is a nervous system disorder that’s almost completely eradicated. However, newborns still need polio vaccines to prevent infections.
- Measles, Mumps, and Rubella: These three viral and highly contagious infections can be prevented by giving children the MMR vaccine.
- Chicken Pox: This disease is common in children, causing the telltale rashes that occur all over the body. To gain immunity from the disease, children need to get their varicella-zoster virus vaccine.
COVID-19 Vaccine
Since the virus that caused the recent pandemic is still evolving into variants, getting your booster shot is needed to maintain your immunity and prevent serious illness. If needed, we can provide COVID-19 testing at Crossroads Medical Center. However, we do not offer COVID-19 vaccines at our clinic since those are still managed by the public health department.
Contact the Boulder County Public Health website or office for more information.
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