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1st appeared
28 October
1999 Take a Shot at Flu, Pneumonia Fall marks the start of influenza outbreaks, which pose a significant health threat in the elderly or people whose immune systems may be compromised. About 20,000 Americans, mostly those over age 65, die each year from influenza, and about 40,000 die from infections caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, the most common cause of bacterial pneumonia in adults. Taken together, they constitute the fifth-leading cause of death in the US.
"The flu poses a serious potential hazard to older Americans, but it's a hazard we can all protect against," said Donna Shalala, US secretary of health and human services, in a statement. "Every senior citizen needs to know that flu and pneumonia shots are convenient, free under Medicare, and sometimes lifesaving. Tragically, many serious cases of flu and even deaths could be prevented through immunizations. Flu shots work, but not when the vaccine sits on the shelf." While statistics show that 65 percent of white seniors receive the flu shot, millions more remain unprotected, even though the vaccinations are free under Medicare. Statistics from 1997 show that only 50 percent of African-Americans and 58 percent of Hispanics were vaccinated. Flu shots must be given every year because the influenza virus changes from year to year and because antibody protection from the vaccine wanes over time. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) strongly recommends that the vaccine be offered to those at high risk for complications from influenza, beginning now and continuing until the flu season begins to decline, usually around February. Flu vaccine is specifically recommended for people who are at high risk for developing serious complications as a result of influenza infection. These groups include all people aged 65 years or older; all people in nursing homes; and people of any age with chronic diseases of the heart, lung, or kidneys, diabetes, immunosuppression or severe forms of anemia. Adults with diabetes, for example, are three times more likely to die from influenza.
All pregnant women should also receive the vaccine, regardless of the stage of pregnancy, if they have one of the above risk factors for developing influenza. Because the currently available flu vaccine is an inactivated vaccine, many experts consider influenza vaccination safe during any stage of pregnancy. The CDC recommends that the best time to conduct annual vaccination campaigns is between October and mid-November. However, after mid-November, people may still benefit from influenza vaccination, even after flu cases begin to occur in the community. Pneumococcal shots are recommended for most of the same people who should receive flu shots. Pneumococcal shots are usually given once and do not need to be repeated annually. UCSF Stanford Health Care’s Infection Control, Quality of Care and Quality Improvement Executive Committee has endorsed the vaccine program for patients at the time of discharge.The flu vaccine is also available to patients in the Ambulatory Care Center through Friday, Nov. 15. In addition, infection control experts recommend that all health care providers receive the flu vaccine. This includes physicians, nurses, students and others with direct patient care. "We strongly encourage you to order influenza vaccination for your patients at the time of their discharge and consider obtaining vaccine for yourself," says Kathy Mathews, infection control specialist. Mathews also reminds the staff about the importance of considering pneumococcal vaccination when patients are discharged from the hospital or are in the clinic. The 23-valent vaccine is effective and can prevent infection due to penicillin-resistant strains of pneumococcus. Specifically, the vaccine is recommended for:
There is no contraindication to giving the influenza vaccine at the same time as the pneumococcal vaccine. For more information about receiving a flu shot covered by Medicare, call toll-free 1-800-638-6833 or visit Medicare's website. For more information about influenza disease and CDC's recommendations for influenza vaccination, call the CDC National Immunization Information Hotline at 1-800-232-2522 (English) or 1-800-232-0233 (Spanish), or visit CDC's website. The CDC also has a website with weekly updates on influenza cases during the season. Source: Lisa Cisneros
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