Protect yourself and our community from the Flu….Get your Flu Shot!

MedSave Family Pharmacy would like to remind and encourage everyone to get their Flu Shot every year. Influenza is a serious disease that can lead to hospitalization and sometimes even death. Every flu season is different, and influenza infection can affect people differently. Even healthy people can get very sick from the flu and spread it to others. An annual seasonal flu vaccine is the best way to reduce the chances that you will get seasonal flu and lessen the chance that you will spread it to others. When more people get vaccinated against the flu, less flu can spread throughout our community.

Individuals

MedSave offers Flu Shots to the community from September through December (or until supplies last). Feel free to stop in anytime during business hours and we will get you immunized and out the door in no time. We do accept insurance. Bring in your insurance card and we can let you know if you qualify. If you do not have insurance, feel free to call us at 759-1222 to find out the cost.

Business – Flu Shot Clinics

MedSave Family Pharmacy provides on-site Flu Shot clinics to businesses in the Bemidji community and surrounding area. Providing a Flu Shot Clinic is a great way to encourage your staff to get their seasonal vaccine and keep your organization protected from the Flu. Plus, it makes it very convenient! For more information, call Aimee at MedSave at 759-1222.

Flu Shot Info

Who should get vaccinated? Everyone 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine each year. This recommendation has been in place since February 24, 2010 when CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted for “universal” flu vaccination in the U.S. to expand protection against the flu to more people. While everyone should get a flu vaccine each flu season, it's especially important that certain people get vaccinated either because they are at high risk of having serious flu-related complications or because they live with or care for people at high risk for developing flu-related complications.

1. Pregnant women
2. Children younger than 5, but especially children younger than 2 years old
3. People 50 years of age and older
4. People of any age with certain chronic medical conditions
5. People who live in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities
6. People who live with or care for those at high risk for complications from flu, including:
   1. Health care workers
   2. Household contacts of persons at high risk for complications from the flu
   3. Household contacts and out of home caregivers of children less than 6 months of age (these children are too young to be vaccinated)

Wondering how flu vaccines work? Flu vaccines cause antibodies to develop in the body. These antibodies provide protection against infection with the viruses that are in the vaccine.

When should you get a flu vaccination? The CDC (Centers for Disease Control) recommends that people get their seasonal vaccine as soon as the vaccine becomes available in their community. Vaccination before December is best since this timing ensures that protective antibodies are in place before flu activity is typically at its highest. It takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop in the body and provide protection against influenza virus infection. In the meantime, you are still at risk for getting the flu. That’s why it’s better to get vaccinated early in the fall, before the flu season really gets under way. Flu vaccination provides protection against the influenza strains contained in the seasonal vaccine for the entire season. Vaccination can begin as soon as vaccine becomes available.