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September 23, 2002

U.S. IMMUNIZATION NEWS

"Vaccinations Help Protect Seniors, Too"

Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel (www.sun-sentinel.com) (09/22/02) P. 1E; Vann, Korky

Studies indicate a common misconception among seniors that vaccinations are only for young people, and this mistaken belief kills nearly 40,000 adults every year from preventable diseases or their complications; the American Society of Internal Medicine says adults are at 100 times the risk for death from vaccine-preventable diseases than children.  Dr. John Shanley, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Connecticut Health Center in Farmington, says that adult vaccination has traditionally been mismanaged for a long time, but a tremendous push to educate adults and physicians in the importance of immunizations for all age groups has been mounted in recent years.  Among the immunizations recommended for adults by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are for influenza, pneumonia, tetanus, diphtheria, and hepatitis A and B, particularly for shell fish lovers and those who travel abroad. Even those vaccinations received in childhood can begin to fade in effectiveness over time, say experts, which clearly points to a need for boosters later in life.  Flu and pneumonia remain the fifth largest killer of elderly people; anywhere from 20,000 to 40,000 people die each flu season, 95 percent of whom are aged 65 years and older.

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