By Dr. Vianka Delgado

Dr. Delgado is an Internal Medicine specialist at Palmas Clinic, 7756 Palm River Road, Tampa FL 33619 Tel 813-626-0066 Website: PalmasClinic.com

 

It is that time of the year when you should take matters into your own hands to protect yourself from that deadly but preventable disease commonly called ‘the Flu’. Even if you do not read the whole article, please make a commitment now to get the Flu shot as soon as possible.

As we age, our immune systems tend to weaken. We tend to lose our ability to fight off certain bugs. One way to help increase our chances of preventing or decreasing the severity of those infections is to build up our immune system through vaccination.

Here are some facts about vaccination and immunization:

About 70,000 adults die annually from only two of the vaccine-preventable diseases – Pneumococcus (commonly known as Pneumonia) and Influenza (commonly known as ‘the Flu’).

Most vaccines are safe to administer and side effects are mostly minor in nature. The bigger problem with vaccination is the missed opportunity to vaccinate, based in part upon public misconceptions about its safety, and very few reasons why a particular individual should not receive a specific vaccine.

There are 4 vaccines recommended for all older adults, which you should at least discuss with your primary care provider. Getting these vaccines decreases your chances of getting the diseases and, if you do happen to get the disease despite vaccination, your chance of becoming severely ill or dying from it is decreased.

These are the 4 Vaccines:

1.      Influenza Vaccine (the Flu) – Recommended every year.

9 out of 10 people killed by the Flu in the United States are 60 years or older. Seniors are also more likely to get very sick and end up in intensive care units (ICU) when they get the flu.

Studies have shown that the Flu shot may reduce the number of cases of the Flu, the number of people who require hospital stays from the Flu, as well as decrease the number of deaths from the Flu. One of the most recent studies suggests that the vaccine could cut older adult deaths from the Flu by half.

One variation of the vaccine, the high-dose Fluzone, seems to work better for seniors.

2.      Pneumonia vaccine (Pneumococcal Vaccine) – Recommended every 5 years. Discuss with your primary healthcare provider.

Pneumonia is swelling in the lungs usually caused by infection. Infectious pneumonia can be caused by many different types of bugs (bacteria, viruses, etc.).

The most common cause of pneumonia in adults is a bug called Pneumococcus (Streptococcus Pneumoniae). Seniors who develop Pneumococcal pneumonia have a very high chance of getting very sick and requiring intensive care or dying. The Pneumonia vaccine aims to decrease the likelihood of this infection.

There are currently 2 types of vaccine that most seniors older than 65 years must receive – PCV13 and PPSV23. The timing of the vaccination varies according to prior history, so we recommend discussing with your primary care provider.

3.      Herpes Zoster Vaccine (Shingles)

Shingles (Herpes Zoster) is caused by the Varicella Zoster Virus. This is the same virus that causes Chicken Pox and usually remains in a person’s nerve endings after exposure to Chicken Pox.  The virus may not cause any symptoms for many years, but under certain conditions, like a weakened immune system and stress, the virus may migrate to the skin and cause a painful rash.

One million people develop Shingles every year in the United States. About 32 percent of the population will develop Shingles over their lifetime.

The vaccine has been approved by the FDA for adults over the age of 50 who have normal immune systems

4.      Tetanus Vaccine – Recommended every 10 years or single Td booster vaccine after age 50. The Tdap version of the vaccine is recommended in adults over age 65 who have never received that type, especially if they have contact with infants younger than 1 year (grandkids). Discuss your vaccination history and needs with your doctor.

Tetanus is caused by toxins released by a bug called Clostridium Tetani. The bug lives in the soil and typically gets into the body through wounds (cuts and punctures from objects that introduce the bacteria into the body – rusted nails, knives, tin cans, etc.)

Once in the body, the toxins attack the nervous system causing muscle spasms like ‘Lockjaw” and could affect the ability to breath and cause death.

Tetanus, though rare in the United States, occurs mostly in older adults who have not been properly vaccinated against it. Patients above age 60 account for about 60 percent of all cases of tetanus in the United States

For more information about these and other recommended vaccines for all ages, visit the CDC’s vaccine recommendations website.   https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/adults/index.html