For Older Adults, It's Time To Schedule Flu And Other Life-Saving Shots, Advises The American Geriatrics Society's Foundation For Health In Aging

Main Category: Flu / Cold / SARS
Also Included In: Seniors / Aging
Article Date: 19 Oct 2007 - 2:00 PST

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Older adults and those who care for them should start making plans to get their flu shots, and should ask their healthcare providers whether they need other vaccinations recommended for older people, the American Geriatrics Society's Foundation for Health in Aging (FHA) suggests.

On the brink of flu season, the FHA has released a comprehensive and easy-to-understand tip sheet on vaccinations for seniors. It can be found here.

"Increasingly, people are aware of the importance of getting flu shots, but there are other potentially life-saving vaccinations that older adults also need, but may not be getting," says Meghan Gerety, MD, chair of the FHA and Chief of Staff of the New Mexico VA Health Care System in Albuquerque.

It's particularly important that older people stay up to date with flu, pneumococcal disease, and other vaccines, because they're more likely than younger adults to get seriously ill if they contract these illnesses. The flu alone kills more than 20,000 Americans -- most of them 65 and older -- each year.

Ideally, older adults and those who care for older people should get flu shots in October or November, before the 2007-2008 flu season begins. Seniors should contact their healthcare providers to schedule a flu shot (or find out which community agencies are offering the shots) and should also ask their providers whether they are up-to-date with needed vaccinations for pneumococcal disease, tetanus, diphtheria, and other potentially deadly illnesses.

Medicare covers flu and pneumococcal shots and, for people at high risk of other diseases, vaccines that protect against these diseases.

About The FHA

In 1999, the American Geriatrics Society reached beyond its traditional role as a professional medical society and launched the AGS Foundation for Health in Aging (FHA). The FHA aims to build a bridge between geriatrics health care professionals and the public, and advocate on behalf of older adults and their special needs: wellness and preventive care, self-responsibility and independence, and connections to family and community. The FHA champions initiatives in public education, clinical research, and public policy that advance the principles and practice of geriatrics medicine; educate policy makers and the public on the health care needs and concerns of older adults; support aging research that reduces disability and frailty, and improves quality of life and health outcomes; encourage older adults to be effective advocates for their own health care; and help family members and caregivers take better care of their older loved ones and themselves.

About The AGS

Founded in 1942, the American Geriatrics Society is a nationwide, not-for-profit association of geriatrics health care professionals dedicated to improving the health, independence, and quality of life of all older people. The Society supports this mission through activities in clinical practice, professional and public education, research, and public policy. With an active membership of over 6,500 health care professionals, the Society has become a pivotal force in shaping attitudes, policies, and practices in geriatric medicine.

http://www.americangeriatrics.org