Re: 65 and Over: Annual Flu Shots & UP-TO-DATE Pn...

GailL1 · ‎09-10-2020

It has been recognized for many years that people 65 years and older are at high risk of developing serious complications from flu compared with young, healthy adults. This risk is due in part to changes in immune defenses with increasing age. While flu seasons vary in severity, during most seasons, people 65 years and older bear the greatest burden of severe flu disease. In recent years, for example, it’s estimated that between 70 percent and 85 percent of seasonal flu-related deaths have occurred in people 65 years and older, and between 50 percent and 70 percent of seasonal flu-related hospitalizations have occurred among people in this age group.

CDC: Flu & People 65 Years and Older

Get the flu vaccination from the beginning of September to the end of October for maximum coverage period and get one of the higher doses or type vaccines made for those 65 years and older.

Also make sure that your pneumococcal vaccines (with booster) are up-to-date -

People who are 65 years and older also should be up to date with pneumococcal vaccination to protect against pneumococcal disease, such as pneumonia, meningitis, and bloodstream infections. Talk to your health care provider to find out which pneumococcal vaccines are recommended for you.
Pneumococcal pneumonia is an example of a serious flu-related complication that can cause death. You can get the pneumococcal vaccine your provider recommends when you get a flu vaccine.

It's Always Something . . . . Roseanna Roseannadanna

aruzinsky · ‎09-10-2020

The proper precautions that are taken to avoid getting covid-19 should equally protect one from getting flues and colds. By not addressing this, the CDC has demonstrated a lack of credibility. I suspect that the CDC wants to take undue credit for the reduction in flu cases.

GailL1 · ‎09-10-2020

@aruzinsky wrote:
The proper precautions that are taken to avoid getting covid-19 should equally protect one from getting flues and colds. By not addressing this, the CDC has demonstrated a lack of credibility. I suspect that the CDC wants to take undue credit for the reduction in flu cases.

I completely agree with you that these precautions should have always been extended to the flu especially for older people. The flu vaccine is not 100%. However I don't know why they have not - most likely we just became comfortable with the ease of taking the flu and other vaccines to protect us - so what if a few thousands die.

I was shocked when last March, SNF, nursing home and other residences used by seniors were not put on lock down and people working there not required to adore the mask, other protective gear and begin to practice strict migratory protocols. I remember working in a nursing home in my early years as a nurse - before flu vaccinations were a thing - it was unbelievable how bad things got and we lost many.

I also wonder why the CDC hasn't talked more about the degree of contagion. Measles is highly contagious—much more so than COVID-19. It is so contagious that if one person has measles, up to 90 percent of the people close to that person who are not immune will also become infected. You can get measles just by being in a room where a person infected with measles has been, even up to two hours after that person has left! Looks like they could accentuate kids getting this measles vaccine even during this pandemic. National Foundation of Infectious Disease 07/16/2020 - Measles & COVID-19: A Dangerous Combination

We already know that Covid-19 has affected minorities at a higher rate and more drastically (higher in Blacks) than Caucasians YET all of the vaccine phase III trials, where a broad spectrum of differing people is required for testing the vaccine, are having a hard time recruiting them. Their rate of participation is dismal. Black lives matter here too - we need them to step up as well as Hispanics and Asians and other minorities.

Yes, I would say that the CDC, Dept of Public Health and other health related groups need to do more - more than just put it on their website. Yes, I would say that media outlets need to do more in getting out information and not just for SARS-CoV-2 (covid-19). But, alas, we have such distrust about everything in this country now that it seems people just pick the "science" they want to believe or just make it up altogether.

It's Always Something . . . . Roseanna Roseannadanna