What About Immunizations for Seniors?

August is National Immunization Awareness Month, so now is the perfect time to review the vaccines doctors and health officials most commonly recommend for seniors.

Should you get these vaccines? What, if any, are the benefits and risks? Take a moment to review the following list and decide for yourself!

Flu Vaccine

Seniors are the most vulnerable population when it comes to the flu. Around 70 to 85 percent of flu-related deaths involved adults over the age of 65. The flu vaccine is a senior’s best protection against developing a serious case of the flu and greatly reduces their risk of contracting the virus or developing serious complications after an infection.

Health officials recommend that seniors receive the flu vaccine by the end of October each year.

COVID-19 Vaccines

Seniors are also at high risk for serious or deadly COVID infections. Studies have shown that the COVID vaccines can prevent both potentially deadly COVID outcomes and long COVID symptoms.

Thera are three types of COVID vaccines: Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax. All of them have proven to be safe, effective safeguards against COVID-19 for seniors.

RSV Vaccine

RSV is another respiratory virus that can be deadly to seniors, especially those over the age of 75. Adults who have not received the vaccine should plan to do so in late summer or early fall. Since the RSV vaccine is not currently considered an annual vaccine, a single dose is sufficient in protection against an RSV infection.

Shingles Vaccine

Shingles is caused by the same virus that causes Chickenpox, so anyone who has had Chickenpox may suffer from a painful Shingles outbreak later in life. And the risk of an outbreak increases with age. Adults over the age of 50 should receive two doses, separated by 2 to 6 months, to prevent an outbreak and associated complications.

Pneumonia Vaccines

Each year, nearly one million people over the age of 65 are hospitalized due to pneumococcal bacterial infections. There are three pneumococcal vaccines on the market: PCV15, PCV20, PCV23.

According to the CDC, adults over the age of 65 who have never had a pneumococcal vaccine should get the PCV15, followed by the PPSV23 after a year, or a single dose of PCV20 or PCV21.

Tdap and/or the Td Booster

Tdap stands for tetanus, diptheria, and pertussis, which are potentially fatal bacterial diseases. Diptheria and pertussis are spread through contact while tetanus infects via wounds or cuts in the body.

All adults should receive a Tdap vaccine and a Tdap or Td (tetanus, diptheria) booster every ten years.

Are there risks associated with vaccines?

Most vaccines carry the potential for mild side effects––such as soreness or swelling near the injection site, fatigue, fever, and mild nausea––which usually clear up within 24 hours.

While serious side effects do occur, they are extremely rare. All vaccines go through rigorous lab testing and three different phases of clinical trials in tens of thousands of people before they ever hit the market. Once they are available, health officials continue to monitor them for efficacy and safety.

To learn more about recommended vaccines for seniors, consult the CDC or the U.S Department of Health and Human Services. And, as always, talk to your doctor about what steps would be best for you given your current health condition.