62 August 29 • 2019
jn
RUTHAN BRODSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Seniors are advised to keep
up on vaccinations.
I
f you are 55 or older and not up to
date with your vaccinations, you
are not alone. About 30 percent of
you skipped a flu shot in 2017, two-
thirds didn’
t receive the recommended
shingles vaccine and 43 percent were
not current for tetanus shots, according
to a 2017 report from the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
As you age, your immune system
weakens, making it more difficult to
fight off infections. You are more likely
to be fighting off complications from
the flu, pneumonia or shingles, which
may lead to lengthy and chronic illness-
es. With a serious health condition such
as heart disease or diabetes, getting vac-
cinated is particularly important.
“The research shows that many
seniors aren’
t getting the protection
they need,” says Dr. James Bragman,
D.O., in West Bloomfield who special-
izes in internal, geriatric and sports
medicine. “
As a primary care physi-
cian, I look at the whole person, mind
and body, and work at keeping my
patients healthy as they age.
“This includes encouraging patients
to consume a plant-based diet, to
enlarge their network of friends
beyond their family, and to make cer-
tain they’
re getting the vaccines they
need depending upon their age and
lifestyle, including travel plans, medi-
cal conditions and which
vaccinations they had in
the past,” he says.
“Vaccines are the
safest ways to protect
your health,” says Dr.
Carl Lauter, M.D., an
infectious disease specialist in Royal
Oak who also specializes in allergy
and immunology. “Your best reasons
for keeping current with your vaccines
are to protect yourself and the people
around you.”
INFLUENZA (FLU VACCINE)
“Some people won’
t get a flu shot
because they’
re afraid they’
ll get the
flu from the vaccine,” Lauter says. “No
matter how many stories you hear,
this is not scientifically possible. The
injected flu vaccine is made from a
dead virus and the nasal flu vaccine is
made from a weakened virus.
“Because the flu virus changes each
year, a yearly flu shot is required
especially for those with chronic
conditions and weakened immune
systems, and for the elderly,” he says.
“Pneumonia, a serious viral or bacte-
rial lung infection, is the most com-
mon complication of the flu.
“Scientists try to predict which flu
strains will show up the next winter
and develop vaccines to match those
strains. Sometimes the predictions are
excellent and other times vaccinations
are less effective.”
PNEUMOCOCCAL VACCINE
Severe infections in the bloodstream
and key organs are caused by pneu-
mococcal disease often resulting in
pneumonia, blood infections and
meningitis, killing about 18,000 adults
65 and older each year. The CDC
recommends that all adults 65 and
older take the two vaccines about a
year apart to protect against pneumo-
coccal disease. In July 2017, the CDC
reported that only about 18 percent of
older adults are getting both vaccines,
the PCV13 (Prevnar 13) and PPSV23
(Pneumovax 23).
SHINGLES OR HERPES ZOSTER VACCINE
Shingles is a blistering and painful
rash, which one out of every three
people, generally 55 and older, will
develop in their lifetime. It is caused
by the same virus responsible for
childhood chickenpox, which then
lies dormant in most adults and reac-
tivates in later life.
“Some people experience mild to
severe nerve pain that can linger for
months or even years, and the com-
plications increase in severity as you
age,” Lauter says. “The good news is
that a new shingles vaccine, Shingrix,
is available and works better than the
previous vaccine, Zostavax. Two doses
are needed 2-6 months apart. Healthy
adults 50 or older should receive
Shingrix even if they had shingles and
already received Zostavax.
“The problem is you may have to
put your name on a wait list for the
vaccine because there’
s often a short-
age.”
TDAP BOOSTER (TETANUS,
DIPHTHERIAE, PERTUSSIS)
“
All of us should have had the child-
hood vaccine to protect against tetanus
but there may be some who missed
taking the combination booster called
Tdap that protects against tetanus,
diphtheria and pertussis (whooping
cough),” Lauter says.
“It is recommended that everyone
receive the Td (tetanus-diphtherial)
booster vaccine every 10 years and
adults should get the Tdap vaccine at
least once. The Tdap should also be
given to women during pregnancy.”
HEPATITIS A VACCINE
The hepatitis A virus (HAV) can be a
deadly liver disease spread person to
person when people don’
t wash their
hands properly or leave unsanitary
conditions around food and water. For
long-term protection, you need two
doses, six months apart.
HEPATITIS B VACCINE
The Hepatitis B virus is also a conta-
gious virus and attacks the liver. The
vaccine is usually given as two or three
shots over 1-6 months.
“
Also available is a combination
vaccine approved for adults that pro-
tects people from both Hepatitis A
and Hepatitis B,” Lauter says. “The
combined Hepatitis A and B vaccine
is usually given as three separate doses
over a six-month period.”
Adults may need other vaccines
based on health conditions, their job,
lifestyle and travel habits. Keep in
mind that no matter what your age,
vaccines may not provide complete
protection. Some, such as the tetanus
shot, are reported to be 100 percent
effective, but the flu shot limits your
risk of getting influenza by about half.
The effectiveness of most vaccines
also decreases over time, which is why
boosters are recommended for certain
shots. ■
health
Healthy
Aging
Dr. Carl Lauter