Vital Shots
Recently, The New York Times published a major story about a disturbing trend in the way seniors are taking care of their health. The article reports that “people once vigilant about vaccinating their children aren’t nearly as careful about protecting themselves as they age, even though diseases like influenza, pneumonia and shingles are particularly dangerous for older people.”
The article goes on to point to the falling statistics of adults over 65 who get an annual flu shot although the highest percentage of deaths from influenza occur in people in this age group. Only about 58% of this group has had a tetanus shot in the last ten years and even a smaller group, about 30%, has had a shingles vaccination. Part of the problem is that older people have other problems when they see their physicians and the need for vaccinations usually fall outside the scope of the visit. Click on the hypodermic needle below to visit the Center for Disease Control for lists of the various vaccinations people should have by age group.
The article goes on to point to the falling statistics of adults over 65 who get an annual flu shot although the highest percentage of deaths from influenza occur in people in this age group. Only about 58% of this group has had a tetanus shot in the last ten years and even a smaller group, about 30%, has had a shingles vaccination. Part of the problem is that older people have other problems when they see their physicians and the need for vaccinations usually fall outside the scope of the visit. Click on the hypodermic needle below to visit the Center for Disease Control for lists of the various vaccinations people should have by age group.
