Vaccinations & Immunizations in Bethel, CT
DOCS Urgent Care of Bethel provides vaccinations and immunizations either on a walk-in basis or by appointment. Our Bethel clinic is home to board-certified physicians and trained professionals. DOCS Urgent Care is committed to providing high-quality care at an affordable price. Most insurances are accepted.
QUALITY, AFFORDABLE CARE
DOCS URGENT CARE – BETHEL
ADDRESS
6 Stony Hill Rd.
Bethel, CT 06801
PHONE
(860)-717-0335
FAX
(860)-717-0335
HOURS
WEEKDAYS : 8AM-8PM
SATURDAY : 8AM-4PM
SUNDAY: CLOSED
ROUTINE VACCINATIONS in Bethel, CT
Routine vaccinations are recommended for everyone in the United States, and vary depending on age and previous vaccine history. It is commonly assumed that all vaccinations are given in childhood, but many are recommended for adults and students. Some vaccinations (like the flu vaccine) are recommended every year, and some every ten years (such as the tetanus booster).
- Hepatitis A (HEP A)
- Hepatitis B (HEP B)
- TD (Tetanus-Diphtheria)
- TDAP (Whooping Cough)
- Flu (Influenza)
- HPV (Human Papillomavirus)
- Shingles (Herpes Zoster)
- Pneumonia (Pneumococcal)
- Meningitis (Meningococcal)
- Hepatitis A (Adult)
- Hepatitis A (Pediatric)
- Hepatitis B (Adult)
- Hepatitis B (Pediatric)
- Japanese Encephalitis
- MMR
- Menactra
- Zostavax (Shingles)
- Polio (IPV)
- Pneumococcal
- PPD
- Rabies Vaccination
- Tetanus Diphtheria (TD)
- Tetanus Diphtheria Pertussis (TDAP)
- Typhoid
- Twinrix (Hep A & B Combination)
- Typhoid
- Varicella
- yellow Fever
- Gardasil
- B-12
- Ceftriaxone
- Kenalog-10
- Phenergan
- Solu-Medrol
- Toradol
- Benadryl
Adolescent Vaccinations
Adolescents require certain immunizations and booster shots in order to receive immunity against common diseases. The US Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Academy of Family Physicians recommend a specific schedule of immunizations for children and adolescents each year. The schedule is useful to identify when immunizations and booster should are needed during adolescence and when catch-up immunizations are recommended to be given.
- TD (Tetanus-Diphtheria)
- Meningitis (Meningococcal)
- HPV (Human Papillomavirus)
- TDAP (Whooping Cough)
- FLU (Influenza)
- MMR (Measles, Mumps, and Rubella)
- Chickenpox (Varicella)
- Pneumonia (Pneumococcal)
- Hepatitis A (HEP A)
- Hepatitis B (HEP B)
Elderly Vaccinations
Older adults, aged 65+, are at an increased risk for many diseases that can be prevented by vaccines. Preventable illnesses left untreated by vaccines can cause morbidity and mortality in patients who have medical comorbidities or are at a higher risk for complication. Adults aged 65+ can take preventative measures by receiving the following vaccinations.
- Flu (Influenza)
- Shingles (Herpes Zoster)
- Pneumonia (Pneumococcal)
- TD (Tetanus-Diphtheria)
- TDAP (Whooping Cough)
- Hepatitis A (HEP A)
- Hepatitis B (HEP B)
- MMR (Measles, Mumps, and Rubella)
Travel Vaccinations
If you’re planning to travel abroad, it is just as important to make sure your vaccinations are up-to-date as it is to pack your passport. Certain vaccines are a required prerequisite before traveling to certain locations. Protect yourself and those around you by getting vaccination before embarking on your journey.
If you’re unsure which vaccines are required for your trip, visit the CDC Travel Health Site for important information to ensure you’re in good health before traveling. Once you know which vaccines you’re required to obtain, call 203-Urgent-Care to schedule an appointment, or walk in at any time.
- Yellow Fever
- Meningitis (Meningococcal)
- Japanese Encephalitis
- Typhoid
- Rabies
- Polio
- Hepatitis A (HEP A)
- Hepatitis B (HEP B)
- Hepatitis A/ Hepatitis B Combination
What to Know About Vaccinations & Immunizations
How Vaccinations Work
When a disease enters your body, it begins to reproduce itself and spread throughout. Your immune system recognizes this as foreign invaders and will attempt to combat the infection by making antibodies. The antibodies are responsible for destroying the germs. Unfortunately, they don’t act fast enough to prevent you from becoming sick, but by attacking the germs, the antibodies help you get well faster.
The secondary job of antibodies is to protect your body from future infections of the same disease. The created antibodies will remain in your bloodstream and will fight off the same germs if they try to infect you again––even after many years. Now that the antibodies have fought these germs before, they will destroy them before they have the chance to make you sick. This is known as immunity, which is exactly what vaccines are used for. Immunity is why the majority of people experience diseases like measles or chickenpox only once, even if you become exposed again.
Vaccines help your body go straight to the second step. Instead of experiencing the illness once, vaccines help you develop immunity without getting sick. Vaccines are made from the same germs that cause common diseases. For example, the flu vaccine is made from the flu virus. However, the germs in vaccines are either killed or greatly weakened so you won’t feel the effects of the illness.
Vaccines are introduced to your body through injection. The immune system reacts to the germs in the vaccine in a similar way to how it would if it were being invaded by the actual disease––by making antibodies. The antibodies destroy the germs inside the vaccine just as they would with the disease germs. Think of it as a training exercise. The antibodies then stay in your body, which gives you immunity. If you ever become exposed to the disease, the antibodies created from the vaccine will be there to protect you.
Why Are Vaccinations Important?
Children who are unvaccinated are susceptible to spreading diseases to other children, even if these other children have been vaccinated. This is because no vaccine is 100% protective.
In the United States, vaccinations have decreased the risk of most vaccine-preventable childhood diseases by over 95%. See www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4037.pdf for examples. Modern vaccines have either greatly minimized or completely eliminated outbreaks of certain diseases that were once completely lethal, such as measles and polio in the U.S., and smallpox worldwide. However, the bacteria and viruses that cause these diseases still exist, which is why the public health gains achieved through vaccines can only be maintained if vaccination rates are high enough to prevent wide outbreaks.
Vaccines are effective because they protect individuals who have been vaccinated, but they also provide a broader protection for communities as a whole, which is known as “herd immunity”. When a high enough fraction of a population is vaccinated against infectious diseases, the population as a whole can obtain protection, including individuals who cannot receive vaccinations due to medical reasons.
Do Adults Need VAccinations?
It is just as important for adults to receive routine vaccinations as it is for children, yet many adults are not adequately vaccinated. Adult vaccinations are important because vaccine immunity may diminish over time, and a booster shot may be needed to enhance further protection. Certain diseases such as whooping cough rely heavily on adult immunity to prevent the spread of disease and in turn, protect children. Other vaccines, such as the shingles vaccine, protect against infections and diseases that develop solely in adults.
The Care When You Need It in Bethel
DOCS Urgent Care of Bethel is part of the larger DOCS Urgent Care health network. DOCS is a network of urgent care clinics run by board-certified health care providers, determined to give each and every patient quality care and treatment at an affordable price.
