To Your Health
I
By Stephen A. Wilson
Vaccinations
t’s that time of year—vaccination time. Vaccines trigger the body’s immune system to create antibodies before a person has the real illness. When the infection strikes, these antibodies are present to help fight off the infection. No vaccine is 100% effective, but they can decrease the risk of contracting the disease and the severity of the illness. As people age, their immune systems change and are not as effective, which is partly why the elderly are more susceptible to cancer, infection, and late-life allergies. Adult vaccines can stimulate and support a waning immune system. Major illnesses for which we should be vaccinated are influenza (flu), COVID, and pneumonia. According to the Centers for Disease Control, in 2022, flu and pneumonia were an underlying or contributing cause for 50,000 to 60,000 deaths—COVID for about 210,000 to 225,000. Today, let’s look at vaccinations for these and other sicknesses and why you may need them this winter. Influenza (Flu) A flu shot is recommended for everyone. It is most beneficial for older people or anyone with chronic illness, such as asthma, lung disease, diabetes, or heart disease. During infections, especially strenuous ones, the heart is taxed and has to work harder. People with heart or coronary artery disease who receive a flu shot are less
Winter 2024
likely to die during flu season than those who do not. Also, flu can result in pneumonia, which is usually the cause of flu-related deaths. Current inactivated flu vaccines cannot cause the flu. The flu is not a bad cold; colds are different illnesses caused by different viruses. Cold viruses can result in nagging, uncomfortable symptoms like cough, congestion, runny nose, and low-grade fever. Flu can cause high temperatures, muscle and joint aches, and may lead to pneumonia in some. The confusion between cold and flu is amplified because the time of year the vaccine is given coincides with when people are prone to get colds. Some people get a cold within a few days of receiving the vaccine, mistake it for flu, and think the flu shot caused it. It is true that after receiving the vaccine, some people get side effects of pain at the injection site, achiness, malaise, or even have a low-grade fever, but this is their immune system at work. These symptoms usually resolve within 24 hours. Pneumonia The vaccine PCV20 decreases the risk of hospitalization from pneumonia and is recommended for all adults over 65 and those between 19 and 64 years with high-risk medical conditions. The most common side effect is pain at the site of inoculation. 15
