Thursday, December 7, 2017

Healthy Habits: Flu Prevention and Older Adults

December 3-9, 2017 marks National Influenza Vaccination Week (NIVW), an annual awareness week focused on the importance of influenza vaccination. Influenza (flu) is a serious respiratory illness that affects between 5-20% of the US population annually. Each year, more than 200,000 individuals are hospitalized and 3,000-49,000 deaths occur from influenza-related complications. Flu can be serious for everyone – but for adults age 65 years and older, the risk of flu-related complications and hospitalization is particularly high. Annual influenza vaccination is recommended to help prevent flu and flu-related complications.
There’s good reason to consider vaccination:  
  • Adults age 65 years and older account for 50-70% of flu-related hospitalizations and up to 85% of flu-related deaths.
  • Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that only 65.3% of older adults received a flu shot during the 2016-2017 season.
  • Older adults experience an elevated risk of complications from flu due to a gradual deterioration of the immune system, known as immunosenescence. A weakened immune system makes it harder for our bodies to fight disease.
  • Adults age 65+ with chronic conditions, like heart disease, diabetes, and rheumatoid arthritis, are at an even higher risk of developing serious flu-related complications.

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