Piedmont Pediatrics will continue to provide fall flu shot clinics on Saturday afternoons.  We also will be offering some clinics during the week to provide additional convenienceas well as offering the vaccine to any parents that would like to receive protection against the flu virus.  We only order preservative free vaccine compared to the vaccine provided at other clinics. Please call (540)347-9900 to schedule as soon as possibleas we will be starting our clinics in September this year.  

The seasonal flu vaccine protects against three influenza viruses that research indicates will be most common during the upcoming season. The 2011-2012 flu vaccine provides protection against the three main viruses that research indicates will cause the most illness this season. The 2011-2012 flu vaccine will protect against an influenza A (H1N1) virus, an influenza A (H3N2) virus and an influenza B virus. About 2 weeks after vaccination, antibodies that provide protection against influenza virus infection develop in the body.

There are two types of flu vaccines:

1. The “flu shot” — an inactivated vaccine (containing killed virus) that is given with a needle, usually in the arm. The flu shot is approved for use in people older than 6 months, including healthy people and people with chronic medical conditions.

2. The nasal-spray flu vaccine — a vaccine made with live, weakened flu viruses that is given as a nasal spray (sometimes called LAIV for “Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine”). The viruses in the nasal spray vaccine do not cause the flu. LAIV is approved for use in healthy* people 2 through 49 years of age who are not pregnant.

Piedmont Pediatrics offers both types of the vaccine and can advise you which may be better for your child.