‘Tis the Season the Beat the Flu
The annual flu season runs from October to May, and doctors recommend that older adults take early and proper precautions. Flu shots are the best way to do that. “Seniors are at a higher risk for contracting the flu because their immune systems are weakened with age,” says Erin Atkinson Cook, MD of UCLA’s Division of Geriatrics.
Older adults also are more likely to suffer from flu-related complications that require hospitalization and may even lead to death. In fact, during a regular flu season, about 90 percent of flu-related deaths and approximately 50 percent of hospitalizations for flu occur in people age 65 years and older, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “This is why seniors should get a flu shot as soon as possible,” says Dr. Cook.
How the flu vaccine works.
The flu vaccine helps the body’s immune system build antibodies to fight and kill the infection. “Usually when we are exposed to a bacteria or a virus for the first time, the immune system needs to spend some time creating antibodies to fight the disease,” says Dr. Cook. “The vaccine helps your body prepare in advance, so if you are exposed to the flu you can fight it right away with your ‘army’ of prepared antibodies.”
It takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop in the body. There are several different injectable vaccines this flu season, and all are acceptable for adults older than 65. “There are subtle differences between them, and your medical history may dictate which one is better for you,” says Dr. Cook.
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO
Take steps to further lower your flu risk:
➢ Wash your hands frequently, and use a hand sanitizer when in public.
➢ Open public restroom doors with a paper towel instead of your bare hand.
➢ Maintain a healthy weight and regularly exercise, both of which can strengthen your body’s ability to fight the flu.
One popular option for older adults is a vaccine called Fluzone High-Dose. It is designed specifically for people age 65 and older with naturally weaker immune systems, and contains four times the amount of antigen—the part of the vaccine that prompts the body to make antibodies—contained in regular flu shots.
High-Dose was introduced during the 2010-11 flu season, and while data on the vaccine’s antibody response were then known, initial clinical studies on its effectiveness have just become available. And the news is good. An August 2014 study in the New England Journal of Medicine indicated the high-dose vaccine was 24.2 percent more effective in preventing flu in adults aged 65 and older than a standard-dose vaccine. (Ask your doctor which vaccine is right for you.)
Who should NOT get a shot.
Some individuals should avoid flu shots. These include anyone with severe allergies to any of the flu vaccine’s ingredients, like gelatin or antibiotics, as well as those who have had Guillain-Barré Syndrome, a severe paralyzing illness that can have lingering effects like numbness or fatigue. People who are allergic to eggs once had to avoid flu shots, since most vaccines are grown inside eggs, but now there are many egg-free vaccines available.
What you do not have to worry about is getting the flu from the flu vaccine. “A few people may experience symptoms after the vaccine that are similar to flu symptoms, like muscle aches, headaches, chills, and fever, but these are rare side effects from the injection, not the flu virus, and usually pass in a few days,” says Dr. Cook.
It also does not matter where you get your flu shot. Whether it is your doctor’s office or at the pharmacy, just get it, especially if you have health conditions, says Dr. Cook. “Chronic medical conditions further weaken the immune system and make you even more susceptible to the flu virus.”
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