Vaccines

If you’re due for vaccines as a condition of your employment or simply want to stay up to date to reduce your risk of getting sick, turn to Grace Vitale Wellness in McKinney, Texas. Primary care and family nurse practitioner Katherine Epps, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, offers vaccines for patients five and older, including entire families. Schedule an appointment at Grace Vitale Wellness by phone or online today to receive vaccinations.

What are vaccines?

Vaccines, also called vaccinations, often contain weakened germs, dead germs, mRNA, or other substances that maximize your body’s immunity (protection) from getting certain illnesses or diseases. Vaccines are highly effective for disease prevention, and if you do still get sick, chances are your symptoms won’t be severe.

Grace Vitale Wellness provides most vaccines required by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) right in the office.

Many vaccines are available as injections, while others are nasal sprays.

What are examples of vaccines?

Vaccines you may be eligible for at Grace Vitale Wellness can protect you against:

• Chickenpox
• Measles
• Mumps
• Rubella
• Hepatitis A and B
• Whooping cough
• Flu
• COVID-19
• Pneumococcal illnesses
• Meningococcal illnesses
• Human papillomavirus (HPV)
• Tetanus 
• Polio 
• Diphtheria
• Shingles 

Certain vaccines provide protection from more than one illness or disease. Some require multiple doses over time, or yearly doses, to offer the most protection. 

Which vaccines are right for me?

To determine which vaccinations are best for you or your child, Katherine discusses your health goals, medical history, previous vaccination history, and more. She asks about allergies you may have and treatment preferences before tailoring a personalized vaccination schedule. You might follow the CDC recommendations or create a schedule that’s best for you and your family.

What happens when receiving vaccines?

When receiving vaccines, you rest comfortably on an exam table or chair. You simply breathe in a mist or receive an injection, often in your arm or sometimes your leg. Katherine may administer more than one vaccine during one appointment. Each takes just a second or two. 

What should I expect afterward?

Common side effects after receiving vaccines include swelling and redness at the injection site, a low-grade fever, mild flu-like symptoms, a sore throat, fatigue, headaches, and muscle or body aches. If you develop severe symptoms, call the Grace Vitale Wellness office right away. Many people have mild or no symptoms after receiving vaccines.

Katherine determines when to schedule your next series of vaccines to achieve the most protection against getting sick. 

Schedule an appointment at Grace Vitale Wellness by phone or online today to determine which vaccines are best for you.