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About Immunizations
Immunizations protect you from common contagious diseases. Rural Health Corporation of Northeastern Pennsylvania is a family medicine practice that provides pediatric and adult immunizations. The practice has 12 locations throughout rural northeast Pennsylvania, including offices in Nuremberg, Sullivan Trail Falls, Freeland, Hazelton, Monroe Township, Wilkes-Barre, Shickshinny, and Edwardsville, Pennsylvania. To schedule your immunizations, call the nearest office or book an appointment online today.
"Every staff member in this clinic, from the receptionist to the doctor, are always so genuinely friendly, caring, and helpful..."
"They truly care about their patients and what they do."
"Everyone working there is always pleasant and courteous and make you feel at ease."
Immunizations Q & A
What are immunizations?
Immunizations, also known as vaccinations, are treatments that teach your immune system how to protect you against harmful germs.
Your provider at Rural Health Corporation of Northeastern Pennsylvania gives you vaccines to activate the immune response. Vaccines contain weakened germs, dead germs, or a unique part of a germ.
When injected into your body, your immune system recognizes the component in the vaccine as foreign. Your immune system then creates antibodies to fight off the foreign invader, protecting you from getting sick.
The next time you come in contact with the germ, your immune system recognizes it and makes the antibodies you need to fight it off.
Immunizations build up your body’s natural defenses against contagious diseases without you ever really getting sick.
When do I need immunizations?
Rural Health Corporation of Northeastern Pennsylvania provides adult and pediatric immunizations. They follow the immunization schedule recommended by the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Needed immunizations depend on your age, vaccination history, and disease risk factors. Some of the vaccines provided at the family medicine practice include:
- Flu vaccine
- Varicella vaccine for chickenpox
- Zoster vaccine for shingles
- COVID-19 vaccine
- Measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR)
- Diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTaP)
- Tetanus and diphtheria (Tdap)
- Polio vaccine
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis
- Pneumococcal vaccine
You only need some vaccines one time. However, many vaccines require booster shots to maintain immunity, including Tdap and MMR. You also need an annual flu vaccine.
Are immunizations safe?
Immunizations are safe. Vaccines go through years of testing to check for safety and effectiveness before they’re made available to the general public. Still, it’s not uncommon to have side effects after getting a vaccine.
You may have pain and swelling at the injection site or develop a fever or body pain. These reactions are normal and indicate your immune system is responding to the vaccine.
However, if you had an allergic reaction to a vaccine or you’re allergic to an ingredient in a vaccine, your provider at Rural Health Corporation of Northeastern Pennsylvania may recommend you not get the shot.
Immunizations protect you from germs that can make you very sick. To find out more about immunizations, call Rural Health Corporation of Northeastern Pennsylvania or schedule an appointment online today.