Solantic Baptist Urgent Care and the CDC debunk the three most common myths about immunization.

August is Immunization Awareness Month - perfect timing for kids and college students heading back to school. But urgent care centers and physicians everywhere hear lots of misconceptions about immunizations every year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Solantic Baptist Urgent Care can help set the record straight three of the most common immunization myths.

MYTH: Immunizations are unnecessary because better hygiene and sanitation has caused many to disappear.
REALITY: Data documenting the number of cases of disease before and after the introduction of a vaccine show that vaccines overwhelmingly are responsible for the largest drops in disease rates. For example, the measles vaccine debuted in 1963 and by 1968, U.S. measles cases had dropped by 97 percent. Plus, while certain diseases like polio have been virtually wiped out in the U.S., they persist in other countries. Travelers can unknowingly bring these diseases into the U.S. and could spread quickly without the protection of vaccinations.

MYTH: Immunizations have potentially harmful side effects including illnesses and even death.
REALITY: Most adverse reactions to immunizations are minor and temporary and often can be controlled by taking over-the-counter acetaminophen before or after the vaccination. More serious reactions occur rarely - in about one per thousands to one per millions of doses. Says the CDC, “The fact is that a child is far more likely to be seriously injured by one of these diseases than by any vaccine. While any serious injury or death caused by vaccines is too many, it is also clear that the benefits of vaccination greatly outweigh the slight risk, and that many, many more injuries and deaths would occur without vaccinations.”

MYTH: Giving a child multiple vaccinations for different diseases at once can overload the immune system and increase the risk of harmful side effects.
REALITY: Studies show that recommended vaccines are just as effective in combination as they are individually, and that these combinations carry no greater risk for adverse side effects. Says the CDC: “There are two practical factors in favor of giving a child several vaccinations during the same visit. First, we want to immunize children as early as possible to give them protection during the vulnerable early months of their lives. Second, giving several vaccinations at the same time will mean fewer office visits for vaccinations, which saves parents both time and money and may be less traumatic for the child.”

For more in the importance, benefits and risks of immunizations, visit your nearest Solantic Baptist Urgent Care Center. Our urgent care clinics are located throughout Florida and offer a full battery of school, work and travel-related vaccinations.

Don't wait - July is a great time to get your kids' school and sports physicals and immunizations at your neareast Solantic Baptist Urgent Care center.

Most school districts nationwide send kids back to the classroom sometime mid- to late August. That makes early August a mad-house of a time period for many urgent care and pediatrics clinics. Busy parents wait until the last minute to get their kids required school and sports physicals and immunizations. Skip the maddening crowds and get your children ready for school early.

July is a great time to make sure your young students are up on their required and recommended immunizations before heading back to the classroom. A list of the required and recommended vaccines at appropriate age levels is available on the Florida Dept. of Health’s website. Vaccine-preventable diseases spread quickly in schools and your child could be sent home if records show that he or she is behind on state or federally mandated vaccines unless you’ve been granted exemption.

July also is prime time for school and sports physicals for the young athlete. Tryouts for school sports teams often happen before school reconvenes in the fall and those who haven’t yet had their physicals and been cleared by a physician could end up sidelined until the next school year or season.

Solantic Baptist Urgent Care Centers located throughout Florida offer comprehensive school and sports physicals as well as the complete battery of required and recommended immunizations. You never have to set an appointment, but if you choose to, we make it easier than ever. Register online and a Solantic representative will call or text you when it’s time to head to the center. Take a break, run some errands or finish up your shopping for school clothes and supplies while you wait.

As kids and college students head back to campus, Solantic Baptist Urgent Care and the America Occupational Therapy Association are urging parents and youngsters to pay close attention to the loads of books, school supplies and gadgets they’re carrying in their backpacks. September 16 is National School Backpack Awareness Day and the ATOA is encouraging schools to hold backpack weigh-ins and other awareness events. Studies show that heavy backpacks, unevenly distributed weight loads and backpacks worn incorrectly are notorious for causing long term back and shoulder pain, muscle spasms and torn tendons. Backpacks worn with uneven straps can affect balance, which can result in urgent care needs such as twisted ankles.

A great tell-tale clue for parents: if your child tends to lean forward while wearing his or her backpack, it’s too heavy. Other signs are red marks on the shoulders, muscle spasms and tingling or numbness in the arms. A few tips:

Heavy backpacks, purses and laptop bags can cause neck, shoulder and back problems among other orthpedic health woes.

• Make sure your child is using a backpack that’s right for his size.
• Look for backpacks with pockets that help evenly distribute weight.
• A child’s backpack weight should be no more than 20 percent of his body weight according to the American Society of Orthopedics. The American Physical Therapy Association recommends going even lighter - 10-15 percent.
• Look for backpacks with shoulder straps and make sure the straps are adjusted evenly and tight enough that the backpack doesn’t hang loose - even if your kid complains that it looks “dorky.”
• Take out all unnecessary items, including all those electronic gadgets not allowed at school anyway.
• If your child is loaded down with books, he may have to carry a few by hand. If possible, purchase a second set of text books to keep at home.
• Encourage your child to place books in lockers between classes if time permits.
• Rolling backpacks might be an option if your child does not have to climb stairways to get to class, but can pose a tripping hazard for other students if hallways are overcrowded.
• When packing, make sure that the heaviest books and items are placed closest to your child’s back, as the middle of the back is where the strongest muscles are located.

Of course, these issues aren’t just about school backpacks. Those celebrity-inspired oversized purses and heavy laptop cases also can cause neck, back and shoulder strain. Carrying a heavy purse or bag over one shoulder causes the user to totally shift the body’s stance. Over time, this can shorten the muscles, resulting in a twisted or lop-sided body position. Heavy shoulder bags also strain muscles that exit the neck and continue down the shoulder, which can lead to arthritis. Orthopedic experts recommend minimizing your load, opting for a stylish rucksack instead of a purse or using wearing a long-strapped purse across your body, and using a rolling laptop bag, laptop backpack or contoured laptop bag that fits the shape of your body.

Visit Soltantic Baptist Urgent Care for all your back-to-school health need including school and sports physicals and immunizations.

It’s that time of year again! Summer’s end means back to school, back to the playing field and back to Solantic Baptist Urgent Care for school and sports physicals. Whether your littlest is packing his SpongeBob backpack for his first day in kindergarten or your high schooler is psyched about wearing her varsity jacket and taking the volleyball team all the way to nationals this year, Solantic Baptist Urgent Care is ready for you with convenient and affordable school and sports physicals.

Make sure your student athlete is ready to take on the competition with school and sports physicals at your nearest Solantic Baptist Urgent Care center.

Each of our urgent care clinics throughout Florida offers school physicals and sports physicals each for $35 or a combined school/sports physical for $50. These exams are designed to review a patient’s existing conditions and identify any new health issues that could require modified participation in certain school or sports activities. Our board certified physicians and highly experienced medical staff will review your young student/athlete’s full medical history and lifestyle, noting height, weight, blood pressure pulse and temperature. We’ll examine the skin, head, neck, eyes, ears, nose, throat, thyroid, chest, heart, lungs, abdomen, liver, spleen, lymphatic system, extremities, pulses, reflexes, spine, neurological system, veins, muscles and joints. And we’ll perform tests for vision, urinalysis and audiogram (hearing). We also offer back-to-school immunizations, so you can get all your school and sports-related medical needs handled in one convenient and affordable visit.

Solantic’s walk-in urgent care clinics have taken the hassle out of school physicals and sports physicals by offering a no-appointment-necessary policy. For those who want to skip any wait time, we also offer online registration for school physical and sports physical appointments. Just choose the location that’s most convenient for you and complete and submit the online registration form. We’ll give you a call or send you a text message when the doctor is ready to see you. Don’t forget to complete, sign, print and bring with you customary forms (such as the HIPPA notice, patient financial policy and authorization to treat forms) to save even more time. Call Solantic Baptist Urgent Care at 866-SOLANTIC (765-2684) for more information.

August is National Immunization Awareness Awareness Month and Solantic Baptist Urgent Care is ready with all your family’s immunization needs. With children starting school, college students heading back for the fall term and flu season just around the corner, August is prime time for immunizations nationwide. Each of Solantic Baptist Urgent Care’s Florida locations offers a full battery of immunizations required and recommended for every age group for school, work and travel.

Solantic Baptist Urgent Care offers all CDC-required and recommended immunizations.

Solantic Baptist Urgent Care offers all immunizations listed in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s immunization schedules for children, adolescents and adults. We also offer walk-in service when an unexpected vaccination need arises, such as the need for tetanus boosters and rabies vaccinations. Our highly trained medical staff keeps up to date on all needed or recommended vaccinations for people who work in specified high-risk industries. For instance, veterinarians, animal handlers, pet rescue transporters, park rangers and certain laboratory workers often are required to get regular rabies vaccinations even if they have not been bitten or otherwise exposed to rabies.

If you’re planning a trip abroad, Solantic Baptist Urgent Care also can assure you get all the immunizations required and recommended for travel to various countries and regions of the world. Whether you’re a frequent international business traveler, a spouse-to-be planning to honeymoon in some faraway tropical locale, or a student preparing to depart for a study abroad program any Solantic urgent care clinic can assure that you’re ready for travel.

We also offer seasonal immunizations such as flu shots and seasonal allergy vaccines, and screenings including TB skin tests. Solantic Baptist Urgent Care clinics are open 365 days a year and you never need an appointment. We make it easy for busy parents and professionals to get the treatment and preventative they and their families need. To make sure you and yours remain up to date on required and recommended immunizations, visit the Solantic urgent care location nearest you.