News, Health, Santa Monica

Westside Family Health Center Offers Low-Cost Flu Shots

Posted Feb. 3, 2014, 9:39 am

Mitch James / Mirror Contributor

Westside Family Health Center at 1711 Ocean Park Blvd in Santa Monica is offering walk-in Flu shots for $20.

The center is open Monday through Friday from 9 am to 5 pm. Appointments can also be made by calling 310.450.2191 or just walk in to the clinic.

According to Flu.gov, anyone who gets the flu vaccine is 60 percent less likely to need treatment from a healthcare provider.

Getting the vaccine has also been shown to offer other significant benefits including reducing illness, time lost from work, hospitalizations, and deaths.

Although some people experience side-effects to vaccination, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration supervise the safety of seasonal flu vaccines closely and seasonal flu vaccines are usually very safe.

“If you get the flu, your health care provider may be able to prescribe medicine to help your body fight the infection and lessen symptoms. If you need health care services at Westside Family Health Center, make an appointment or simply walk in,” said Debra A. Farmer, President/Chief Executive Officer.

But how can you tell if what you have is a cold or the flu?

According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, a cold is probably the most common illness. You can get a cold by touching your eyes or nose after you touch surfaces with cold germs on them. You can also inhale the germs.

Symptoms--sneezing, sore throat, stuffy nose, sneezing--usually begin 2 - 3 days after infection and last two to 14 days. Colds rarely cause fever or headaches. Washing your hands and staying away from infected people will help you avoid colds.

The flu is a respiratory infection caused by a number of viruses. The viruses pass through the air and enter your body through your nose or mouth. The flu can be serious or even deadly for elderly people, newborn babies and people with certain chronic illnesses. Flu almost never causes an upset stomach. Symptoms of the flu come on suddenly and are worse than those of the common cold. They may include body or muscle aches, chills, coughs, fever, headache and sore throat.

Westside Family Health Center, founded in 1974, is a non-profit community health center providing a wide range of low-cost health care services. WFHC serves more than 9,500 low-income and uninsured women, men and children, regardless of one’s ability to pay.

To learn more about WFHC, or to donate, visit www.wfhcenter.org.