If you’re a senior citizen who wants to improve your quality of life and avoid health problems, you can start by lowering your risk of serious illnesses. People aged 75 and older accounted for almost half of all COVID-19-related hospitalizations between October 2023 and May 2024.
Fortunately, getting vaccinated can help older adults enjoy their golden years while avoiding COVID-19, influenza, pneumonia, and other diseases. In this article, we’ll explain the benefits of immunizations in senior care and help you find a primary care clinic to deliver the vaccines you need.
Why Vaccinations Are Vital for Seniors
While vaccines can help anyone live a healthier life, they’re particularly vital for older adults. This is largely due to how aging affects the immune system — as a person gets older, their immune system cannot respond as effectively as it once did.
The good news is that vaccinations can help people counteract these changes as they age. New vaccines and boosters to existing vaccines can deliver these health benefits, so seniors should keep up with these treatments.
Essential Vaccines for Seniors
To protect their overall well-being, senior citizens should get immunizations for:
Influenza
Influenza (AKA “the flu”) may be a common virus, but it can still lead to serious health issues. Though some people experience relatively mild flu symptoms, such as l headaches, a sore throat, and aching muscles, this disease can have much more dangerous consequences — including pneumonia. Senior citizens have a greater risk of developing serious flu complications than the average person.
Since the flu virus changes over time, every year’s flu vaccine is different. That means you’ll need to get an annual flu vaccine to protect against this illness. Though anyone older than six months can benefit from this vaccine, it’s even more important to get vaccinated if you’re living with a chronic health condition.
Most primary care providers (including Complete Health) can provide flu vaccines to their patients. Additionally, Medicare and private health care will cover the cost of this vaccine.
Pneumonia
A flu vaccination can reduce your chances of getting pneumonia, but people aged 50 and older should also get a pneumococcal vaccination. This vaccine is designed to protect seniors from pneumonia, which can cause dangerous complications such as trouble breathing, fluid build-up around the lungs, and lung abscesses. Additionally, Pneumonia is also connected to common senior health problems such as diabetes and COPD.
Many different pneumococcal vaccinations are available, including the pneumococcal conjugate vaccines PCV15, PCV20, and PCV21 and the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine PPSV23. Your healthcare provider can help you get the right pneumonia vaccine for your situation.
Shingles
Have you had chickenpox in the past? If so, you should know that this virus is still in your body and could reactivate at some point. When it does, it could cause another disease called “shingles.”
Shingles can cause sensations such as shooting pain, itching, and tingling, as well as painful rashes with fluid-filled blisters. The pain associated with these rashes can remain even after the rash itself fades — a condition known as post-herpetic neuralgia.
To avoid these painful symptoms, healthy adults aged 50 or older should get the two-dose shingles vaccine, even if they’ve already had chickenpox or received the chicken pox vaccine. There are a few situations where you shouldn’t get a shingles vaccine (such as currently having shingles or another disease). If you need advice on this vaccine, your primary care clinic can help.
COVID-19
Though COVID-19 isn’t as widely discussed today as it was in 2020-21, this disease can still cause serious health problems. This is especially true in older members of the population, who have higher odds of severe illness or death as a result of COVID-19.
COVID-19 vaccines can lower your chances of getting this disease, and they can protect you from getting seriously ill or needing to go to the hospital if you become sick after getting vaccinated.
Even if you previously received a COVID-19 vaccination, you may need a booster shot for this disease. These boosters can protect older adults from newer COVID-19 strains.
Other Diseases
While the vaccines described above are undeniably important, there are other vaccinations seniors can benefit from. You may also want to get vaccinated for diseases such as tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis, which can all be prevented by the “Tdap vaccine.”
You might also need additional vaccines if you have international travel plans. Your required and recommended vaccines will vary based on where you’re going, what you plan to do, and your medical history. By getting these vaccines at least four to six weeks before your trip, you’ll have time to build your immunity (especially for vaccines requiring multiple doses).
How Primary Care Doctors Simplify Immunization for Seniors
Visiting your primary care clinic is the easiest way to get the vaccines you need. As your “gateway” to the healthcare system, your comprehensive primary care provider can take care of many non-emergency healthcare services — including vaccinations.
When you choose the right primary care clinic for your situation, you’ll enjoy benefits such as:
- Personalized care: A qualified primary care physician can adjust your immunization schedule to account for your situation, ensuring you get the vaccines you need when you need them.
- Convenient access: Your primary care clinic can help you get crucial vaccinations during your annual physical exam (or any other visit).
- Medicare acceptance: If your primary care doctor accepts Medicare, Medicare Advantage, and commercial plans, you’ll have a much easier time affording healthcare services.
- Holistic health management: Vaccines are just one healthcare service seniors need — your primary care clinic should be able to help you with all these services.
Overcoming Vaccine Hesitancy in Seniors
If you’re like many senior citizens, you may have some qualms about the thought of getting vaccinated. For example, you might have heard that vaccines:
- Can cause the diseases they are intended to prevent
- Contain harmful ingredients
- Can trigger other health conditions
- Were not adequately tested before being approved
The tendency to avoid or refuse vaccines is known as “vaccine hesitancy,” and fears such as these are a significant reason why this mindset endures today. However, the rumors listed above are unfounded myths — modern vaccines are thoroughly tested, extremely safe, and highly effective at preventing life-threatening illnesses.
If you have any other vaccination-related concerns, bring them up with your primary care provider during your next visit. They’ll be able to provide the reassurance and educational materials you need to resolve these issues.
Prioritize Your Health with Immunizations
By keeping up on vaccinations, seniors can protect their long-term health and continue living independently. Older adults should try to get whatever vaccines they need, and they can do that by scheduling an appointment with a trustworthy primary care provider like Complete Health.
During this appointment (or your Medicare annual physicals), your physician will look over your immunization history and determine what vaccines you need. Since our primary care doctors accept Medicare, you’ll have no trouble paying for vaccinations and other health services.
Are you ready to get started with Complete Health? If you are, take the first step by looking for a clinic in your area!