Little Rock, Ark., (June 29, 2021) – Beginning this Wednesday, Sherwood Urgent Care centers in Batesville, Conway, Conway North, Hot Springs, Lonoke, Maumelle, Russellville, and Searcy will offer the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to people 18 years of age or older. The free vaccine is offered each Wednesday at the urgent care centers.
As of June 22, there have been 269,727 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Arkansas, with 4,672 confirmed deaths, according to the Arkansas Department of Health. In the counties served by Sherwood Urgent Care centers, fully vaccinated percentages range from 27.9% to 40.93%. “Unfortunately, COVID-19 cases are increasing in Arkansas, with about 300 new cases a day,” said Matt Browning, MD, Chief Medical Officer for Sherwood Urgent Care. “Getting vaccinated is still of great importance to achieve a safe immunity level for our community,” he stressed. “Our realistic goal is to help the communities we serve reach 80 percent full vaccination for those who are eligible.” Anyone who has had a previous COVID-19 infection is urged to get the vaccination after 90 days from recovery of the illness.
COVID-19 vaccinations at Sherwood Urgent Care are only offered on Wednesdays at this point. The vaccine is free to anyone, but if a patient has insurance, the center will file his or her insurance company; however, there will not be a charge to the individual.
“It’s important to know viruses constantly change through mutation and several of the currently known variants are concerning,” Browning emphasized. “Increased vaccinations will lower the chances of further mutations. Our current vaccines have shown to have a good level of protection against some variant strains of COVID-19. More than likely, there will be future booster shots down the road – just like the annual flu shot. But the best protection for now is to get the current COVID-19 vaccination.”
The Moderna vaccine requires two doses to achieve maximum effectiveness. At the time of the first dose, Sherwood Urgent Care patients will receive a card with their vaccine information on it, as well as a date and time to return for their second dose. After each dose, patients will be monitored for at least 15 minutes to watch for any adverse reactions. It takes approximately two weeks after the second vaccine dose for the body to build full protection (immunity) against the virus that causes COVID-19.
“Sherwood Urgent Care is proud to join the ongoing vaccination effort,” Browning said. “Helping our communities stay healthy remains our top priority and providing a convenient location for our neighbors to receive the COVID-19 vaccine is an important step in helping everyone get back to normal – including being able to travel and enjoy a summer barbeque with friends and family.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), COVID-19 vaccines are very effective at protecting against severe illness caused from the virus. Possible side effects are minimal and may, but not necessarily, include pain, redness and swelling at the injection site and tiredness, headache, muscle pain, chills, and potentially fever and nausea. “Any side effects are normal signs your body is building protection – and some people do not experience any side effects,” Browning explained.
As of June 22, 2021, more than 319 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been given in the United States with approximately 45.3% of the population fully vaccinated. It’s important to note that the vaccines were evaluated in tens of thousands of participants in clinical trials. The Moderna vaccine met the Food and Drug Administration’s rigorous scientific standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality needed to support emergency use authorization. Based on evidence from clinical trials, the Moderna vaccine is 94.1% effective at preventing laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 illness in people who received two doses who had no evidence of being previously infected.
To avoid any vaccine-related side effects, the CDC does not recommend you take over-the-counter medicine – such as ibuprofen, aspirin, or acetaminophen – before vaccination. This is because it is not known how these medications might affect how well the vaccine works. “However, if you take these medications regularly for other reasons, you should keep taking them before you get vaccinated,” Browning advised. It’s also not recommended to take antihistamines before getting a COVID-19 vaccine. For more information or to sign up for the vaccine go to SherwoodUrgentCare.com.
Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Arkansas Department of Health
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ABOUT SHERWOOD URGENT CARE
Sherwood Urgent Care, with four locations locations throughout Arkansas, is an affiliate of Urgent Team Family of Urgent Care & Walk-in Centers, one of the largest independent operators of urgent and family care centers in the Southeast. The Urgent Team Family of Centers provides quality and affordable family healthcare at more than more than 89 locations locations under eight brands: Sherwood Urgent Care; Urgent Team (Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, and Tennessee); Physicians Care Walk-in Clinic (Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia); Huntsville Hospital Urgent Care (North Alabama); Ascension Saint Thomas Urgent Care (Middle Tennessee); and Baptist Health Urgent Care and Washington Regional Urgent Care (Arkansas). Sherwood Urgent Care’s walk-in centers provide a range of healthcare services including treatments for injuries and illnesses, occupational health, primary care and wellness care – seven days a week. In addition to walk-ins, patients can plan a same- or next-day visit online with Hold My Spot® or a Telemedicine visit. Urgent Team’s company headquarters are located in Nashville, Tenn. For more information, visit SherwoodUrgentCare.com.