Four Key Vaccines Offer Protection to Seniors
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Four Key Vaccines Offer Protection to Seniors
With the intense focus in the past years on the vaccinations for the health threats posed by COVID-19, there are important vaccines for adults and seniors that should not be forgotten.
A tetrad of vaccines are super important to consider for the greatest protection against potentially serious infections as we age:
Influenza (flu) vaccine
Pneumococcal vaccine to prevent pneumonia
Shingles vaccine
Tetanus-diptheria-pertussis vaccine (Tdap)
Let’s take a brief look at each of the four illnesses and the benefits of being vaccinated against them:
Influenza is a potentially serious disease caused by a virus affecting, primarily, the respiratory system. The disease can result also in further complications for those affected by chronic illnesses, such as heart failure, diabetes and asthma.
Symptoms can include fever, cough, muscle aches, sore throat and headache. Fortunately, the flu vaccine is readily available and very effective by helping the body to create antibodies against circulating viruses. The CDC recommends that adults receive this one-dose vaccine during flu season (the earlier, beginning in September, the better) annually.
Formulations are available which are egg-free for those with allergies to eggs.
Get a jump on protection by getting vaccinated by the end of October to prepare for the months-long season that can extend into May.
Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs from bacteria, viruses and fungi. With pneumonia, the air sacs may fill with fluid or pus. The infection can be life-threatening to anyone, but particularly to infants, children, and people over 65, smokers and those with health problems, such as heart failure or chronic lung disease or weakened immune systems.
Symptoms include cough with phlegm, fever, chills, and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. The good news is that there there are 2 kinds of vaccines that help protect you from the many strains of the bacteria (Streptococcus pneumoniae) that cause pneumococcal disease
Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCV13–”Prevnar 13,” PCV15–”Vaxneuvance”, and PCV20–”Prevnar 20”)
Pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23–”Pneumovax23”)
The following guidelines shed light on which pneumonia vaccine(s) adults need:
Who needs pneumococcal vaccines?
All adults 65 and older need two pneumococcal shots: PCV13 and PPSV23.
Some adults who are 19 to 64 will need two pneumococcal shots - both PCV13 and PPSV23; adults with certain medical conditions, or who take medicine or treatment that lowers the body's resistance to infection; those who have a damaged spleen, no spleen or sickle cell disease, and those who have a cochlear implant or leaks of cerebrospinal fluid.
Adults 19 to 64 who have chronic medical conditions such as: heart disease, lung disease, asthma, diabetes, alcoholism, cirrhosis, or who are smokers, will need one pneumococcal shot - PPSV23.
How many shots will I need?
If you get pneumococcal vaccines for the first time at 65 or older, you will need two shots, one year apart.
If you've had only one pneumococcal vaccine in your lifetime, you may now need an additional shot.
If you had the pneumococcal vaccine before you were 65, you may now need one or two additional shots.
(source: https://www.health.ny.gov/publications/2406)
Shingles is a reactivation in the body of the chicken pox virus (herpes zoster) that has lain dormant for years and can arise as a result of age-related declines in the immune system.
In their lifetime, one in three people will develop the shingles which causes a painful rash that may appear as a stripe of blisters on the trunk of the body.
Pain can persist even after the rash is gone (this is called postherpetic neuralgia). The disease can also cause permanent blindness.
Treatments for shingles include pain relief and antiviral medications, such as acyclovir or valacyclovir.
Protection against this uncomfortable condition is available as the SHINGRIX vaccine. Adults 50 years and older may receive this immunization, which is given as a 2-dose series (with the second shot administered 2 to 6 months after the first shot) and has been shown in clinical trials to be over 90% effective in preventing shingles.
Tetanus is an infection caused by bacteria called Clostridium tetani. When the bacteria invade the body, they produce a poison (toxin) that causes painful muscle contractions.
For adults, the primary source of the toxin is via puncture wounds or wounds contaminated with dirt, soil, feces, rust or saliva. Another name for tetanus is “lockjaw”. It often causes a person's neck and jaw muscles to lock, making it hard to open the mouth or swallow.
Fortunately, thanks to the protection afforded against this illness in the form of a vaccine covering three conditions at once–tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (whooping cough)–cases are rare. Most adults were immunized against these diseases as youngsters.
Those adults who have never received one should get a shot of Tdap. The “a” in DTaP and Tdap stands for “acellular,” meaning that the whooping cough component contains only parts of the bacteria instead of the whole bacteria.
For continuing protection against tetanus, it is important to consider when the last booster of the Tdap was given. Protection lasts about 10 years.
Make sure you and your family get Tdap or Td (protection against tetanus and diphtheria only) every 10 years.
The number ONE way to protect from the spread of illness-causing organisms in our outdoor and indoor environments is frequent and effective hand washing. Don’t forget to remind those who provide care in your environment to wash their hands often.
Your primary care provider will work to make sure these immunizations are offered at appropriate times and the vaccines should all be covered by medical insurance and Medicare, Part D. However, these protective interventions can easily be overlooked, so stay informed to stay protected!
All of these vaccines and more are available at retail pharmacies, such as CVS.
Consider any short or prolonged stay in a skilled or acute care setting as an opportunity to get caught up.
Ask to speak with your nurse, advance practitioner, physician or infection control expert. Rest assured,, these vaccines can be safely administered at the same time as the vaccines for COVID-19.
Sarah Galloway, RN
Senior Care Manager
Helpful resources:
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/keyfacts.htm
https://www.cdc.gov/Vaccines/VPD/Pneumo/Public/Index.html
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/dtap-tdap-td/public/index.html
