Scheduling vaccinations regularly is one of the single most important steps of staying healthy and preventing illness, year-round and long-term. An estimated 45,000 adults ages 65 and older die annually from complications due to vaccine-preventable diseases.
“One of the biggest dangers is overestimating the power and duration of immunizations. While immunizations help keep the body safe from harmful diseases, they need ‘boosters,’ or follow up vaccines, to keep the immune system up-to-date,” said Therese Ganster, community liaison, Peninsula Home Care.“
Much of the confusion about immunizations comes from not knowing which vaccines need boosters, have specific steps or are one-time shots. For example, while the tetanus booster is scheduled for once every ten years, it is strongly recommended that adults get the flu vaccine every year.
When compared to a once-a-decade booster like tetanus, annual immunizations like the flu vaccine seem excessive. Before forgetting to renew – or refusing to vaccinate in the first place – remember the facts: 45,000 adults that made that choice die each year.
For seniors specifically, the most important vaccinations to get are:
Influenza (flu)
Shingles (zoster)
Pertussis (whooping cough)
Diphtheria/Tetanus
Pneumococcal (Pneumonia)
(The above information is in accordance with Vaccines.gov)
In order to keep up with future vaccinations, keep an up-to-date immunization record – knowing what’s already crossed off the vaccine “to-do” list makes organizing future immunizations that much easier. Vaccination records are also necessary for most educational and occupational registration processes, so keeping a record serves multiple purposes.
For the list of CDC recommended vaccines for Seniors, please visit www.peninsulahomecare.com, where the timing and frequency of vaccines is explained.
