In Water Valley and elsewhere around the country, August will be observed as National Immunization Awareness Month, and the purpose is to bring additional awareness to the fact that people should be immunized against damaging diseases. This is especially important for seniors, since they are more prone to catch those diseases than younger, stronger individuals. Senior home care professionals should have some level of awareness of the shots their charges have had, so they can recommend which ones need to be scheduled. Being immunized against seasonal diseases can literally be a life-saver, so it should not be overlooked or forgotten. In this article, we’ll discuss some of the best options for having your senior loved one immunized against damaging diseases.
Why is it important for seniors to be vaccinated?
There are actually quite a few good reasons for seniors to keep their vaccinations up to date, so as to protect themselves against any diseases that happen to be prevalent. First of all, it is a proven fact that vaccines have drastically reduced the number and severity of diseases that, in past years ran wild. It’s still possible to become seriously ill or die from diseases that are preventable by vaccines, and that’s probably the best reason for your senior loved one to keep up with all important vaccinations.
Another reason vaccines should be taken seriously is that they are the single best method for protecting yourself and your loved ones against preventable diseases. That’s because vaccines are capable of creating protective antibodies that help to fight off infections. Anyone who gets vaccinated will be protecting themselves and preventing the spread of diseases to others in the same community. If someone is too weak or unable to be vaccinated against a specific disease, it will at least help that the people around him/her are vaccinated, so they don’t pass anything on to the senior loved one.
One more good reason for maintaining recommended vaccinations is that some diseases prevented by vaccines can have serious complications, and can also trigger illnesses later on. In situations like this, a vaccine protects you against the disease as well as any future complications or consequences that might be triggered by it. Some prime examples of this are seasonal influenza, Hepatitis B, and human papillomavirus. Keep in mind that any vaccines you receive nowadays will be 100% safe, because the CDC and other health organizations are constantly monitoring the effectiveness and safety of any vaccine in use.
Even though a vaccine may carry certain side effects, these will almost always be relatively mild, consisting of redness and swelling, itchiness, tenderness at the immunization site, fever, or possibly fatigue. These side effects will generally subside within a couple of days without having to take any action. The last reason for taking vaccines is that they may actually be required by your school or workplace, or if you intend to travel. All students, military personnel, and those who live in rehab or care centers are required to be vaccinated against diseases that might circulate in a closed community. Healthcare workers are also required to be vaccinated, so they don’t pass on any diseases unintentionally.
Which vaccinations should a senior have?
All seniors should be vaccinated against those diseases that have a presence in the community, or in any nearby region. To keep abreast of which vaccines are being issued in your region, you can contact the CDC to find out which ones are important to have. While this changes from year to year and even seasonally, there are some other vaccinations that should be received at any time. Here are some of the most important vaccinations for seniors to receive:
- pneumococcal vaccine – pneumococcal disease can cause all kinds of problems for a senior, including pneumonia, bacterial meningitis, blood infections, and middle-ear infections. Studies have shown that 3/4 of all adults inoculated with pneumococcal vaccine are fully protected against any of those complications, and there are two different vaccines that could be taken.
- TDAP vaccination – TDAP stands for Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis, which is more commonly known as whooping cough. These are all bacterial diseases that can actually be life-threatening, so your senior loved one needs protection against them. Most people get their first TDAP vaccination in their teen or pre-teen years, and then it becomes necessary to receive a booster shot every 10 years.
- shingles vaccine – shingles are a very painful rash that can be extremely uncomfortable for a senior, and can actually dominate their lifestyle if not treated. It will still be possible to get shingles if you do get the vaccination, but the chances of contracting the disease are much lower if you get vaccinated against it.
- influenza vaccine – you might think that the flu is not serious enough to get annual vaccinations against it, but keep in mind that many seniors are obliged to undertake hospital stays with the disease, and it can even prove fatal in some cases. Given that the vast majority (upwards of 75%) of individuals who do get the flu are seniors, it’s just plain good sense to have your senior loved one protected against it.