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Flu Vaccines for Senior Health
from:The only way to keep up with the latest about flu vaccines for seniors is to constantly stay on the lookout for new information. If you read everything you find about flu shots, it will help you understand it better.
Recommended Prevention:
The Centers for Disease Control has reported that the single best way to prevent the spread of influenza is to get immunized every fall. Every year a new vaccine is created that contains strains of three different viruses, which are changed each year based on estimations about which strains of the virus will spread in a coming year. What makes it work is the ability of antibodies to begin to form in the body and provide us with protection from these viruses about two weeks after getting the immunization. That is why it is good to get your shot as early as possible in the season.
Those at Risk:
The population that are most at risk to getting the flu bug include the those over the age 65, young children below the age of 6 months and anyone else with a chronic health condition, such as those with immunosuppressant, chronic heart or lung conditions with compromised respiratory function or people who are currently on aspirin therapy. There is also another important sector of the population that are at risk, such as health care workers, day care providers or anyone else who wants to cut their chance of getting the flu and possibly passing it on to others. They are the people who work with or care for anyone vulnerable to contagious diseases and they should also acquire the vaccine. Over 90 million people get a influenza vaccine each year in the US alone, a huge undertaking for the medical industry. The CDC lists a specific group of people that they place on a priority status and are given the influenza vaccine first. This list consists of people aged 65 and older with or without chronic health conditions, anyone aged between 2-49 years with chronic health conditions, young children between the ages of 6 & 23 months, women who are pregnant plus residents of long-term health care facilities.
Types of Vaccines:
There are two types of vaccines, one for nasal spray and the other for injection, that are currently available but they are made and used differently. The most popular is the injectable method and it is given with a needle in the upper arm. This type contains an inactivated or killed virus and can be given out to anyone over the age of 6 months with or without chronic health conditions. A live virus is contained in the nasal spray type and should only be dispensed to healthy persons varying in age from 5 to 49 years and is not recommended for pregnant women. An important note to remember is that the flu vaccine, no matter what type, is also not advised for people who in the past have had an allergic reaction or contracted Guillain-Barre syndrome within 6 weeks of receiving a flu vaccination. Those that are allergic to chicken eggs, are below the age of 6 months or are presently suffering from an active viral or bacterial infection with fever are also advised not to inoculated.
Possible Side Effects:
There are some people who are uneasy about the side effects of flu shots, but side effects taken by either method are usually mild and are felt for only a couple of days. Some of the flu-like symptoms that are known to materialize may include muscle soreness, redness and occasional swelling at the injection site when administered this way, low-grade fever, sore throat, nausea & possible vomiting, runny nose and general aching. But when you think about it, making the choice to get the flu vaccine and maybe experiencing some mild side effects is far more pleasant than actually coming down with the virus, which can be definitely uncomfortable and debilitating as anyone who has experienced the flu can affirm to. And then one must take into consideration all the others he or she could be infecting, further spreading the flu bug, perhaps even to those who cannot fight the virus off on their own. It is worth stating here that with the introduction of flu shots the number of influenza cases and deaths have decreased considerably, especially in the at risk groups, those over the age of 65 and children under the age of 6.
Important Reminder:
It is always good to be well informed but no matter what information you have read or heard, your family's health care provider should always be consulted with when making any decisions about flu vaccines or anytime you have health issues.
Now might be a good time to write down the main points covered above. The act of putting it down on paper will help you remember what's important for you about flu vaccines and the questions you might have about them.
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