Vaccine guidelines changing

New York Times

Doctors have been working for years to persuade more older Americans to get the flu vaccine. Now a new study suggests that policy-makers consider broadening the guidelines on who should get the vaccine against another common killer, invasive pneumococcal disease.

Influenza is caused by a virus, which changes so rapidly that a new shot is needed each year. Invasive pneumococcal disease is caused by bacteria, so the effects of the shot are long-lasting.

Even so, in 2001 only about half of people over 65 had gotten it, said the study's lead author, Dr. Jane E. Sisk of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine.

And while it hits the elderly hardest, it can kill younger people, especially those with chronic diseases, and blacks are at greater risk, for reasons not understood, Sisk said.

The new study, which was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, examined the cost and effectiveness of the vaccine for various age groups. It concluded that vaccinating people age 50 to 64 would reduce total health-care costs, and that offering it to everyone 50 or above would be more cost-effective in preventing deaths than some other commonly accepted health measures such as colon cancer screening.