Important vaccines for older adults
in preventing seri- ous, life-threatening illness and disease, particularly during the earliest years of life. But babies and growing children aren’t the only ones
who need them. As we grow older, protection from some of those childhood vaccines may wear off. We may also be ex- posed to other vaccine-preventable diseases through work, travel or other conditions and can grow more vulnerable to serious health consequences as we age. Some of the shots you should consider taking if you are over the age of 50 follow.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Preven- tion (CDC), more than 60 percent of seasonal flu-related hospitalizations occur in people age 65 and older. The flu is a contagious respiratory disease that can also
kill. Those with weakened immune systems — including the elderly — are at considerably higher risk for the flu to cause serious harm. The CDC recommends that all adults receive a flu vac-
cine every year, but places special emphasis upon the need for people with chronic health conditions, pregnant women and older adults to do so.
Any child who has ever had chicken pox can tell you that this itchy, blistery condition creates nothing short of misery. But what many people don’t realize is that long after the
chicken pox are gone, a virus remains in your system that can reappear during adulthood in another form. Shingles, also known as zoster or herpes zoster, is an extremely pain- ful rash that erupts in people who have previously suffered from chicken pox. The CDC estimates one in three Americans will develop
shingles. There are an estimated one million cases per year, half of which occur in men and women age 60 or older. The zoster vaccine reduces the risk of developing shingles by 51 percent and the risk of developing a longer-lasting form of shingles known as post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN) by 67 percent. The vaccination is given as a single shot and is recommended for anyone age 60 or older.
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