Feb 08 2009
Shingles and Other Immunizations for Senior Citizens
I’ve recently joined the ranks of those for whom a SHINGLES VACCINE is recommended.
People who have had chicken pox sometime during their lives are susceptible to Shingles, a painful affliction that can affect anyone, at any age, but is particularly prevalent in people over sixty years old.
So I received my vaccination. So what else do I need to think about as I get older?
My discussion with my physician indicated that I should be sure to maintain my “tetanus” booster every ten years. I just received a booster last year. I’m good.
She also suggested that I get the flu vaccine every year, about November or so. This I have completed the past three years, with no side effects and, most importantly, no flu. I’m normally pretty heathy anyway, and I am a hand-washer, and there are very few contacts with children any more, so I have avoided the flu and colds for the past few years.
As we age our immune systems do tend to become less effective. That makes us more susceptible to pneumonia too, particularly if we are hospitalized for some other condition, or even if we have a cold or flu at home. Pneumonia kills a surprising number of older folks every year, and it is frequently not the primary disease or affliction that the victim was being treated for; it was the weakened condition of the immune system due to the primary affliction that allowed the pneumonia to take hold, or so I have read.
The pneumonia vaccine should be given to people who are most susceptible: those who have problems with their heart, lungs, liver, or kidneys.
So, a pneumonia vaccine after I turn age 65, and that should be good. If a person has received a pneumonia vaccine before age 65, then one additional shot might be recommended at some point after age 65.
Remember I am just an ordinary person, not a doctor, so I depend upon what I am told or what I read. Be sure to always obtain competent medical assistance and advice for any disease or affliction.
