Important Info About Vaccines for Seniors!

[Sandy M]

I was shocked to learn that Senior Citizens need to get booster vaccines !  I knew about Tetanus - every ten years, as well as flu and pneumonia vaccines, but I had NO idea that some seniors with "certain risk factors"  also need a host of other booster vaccines.    My doctor has never mentioned this to me.

Here is the informaiton I found at the CDC:

DPT:  1 dose every 10 years
Measles, Mumps, Rubella:  1 to 2 doses between 19-49 years and a booster between 50-65+ years
Varicella:  2 doses between age 19-49  and 2 doses between age 50-64
Influenza (Flu):  1 dose each year
Pneumonia:  1 to 2 doses between ages 19-64 and then 1 dose 65-100+ years
Hepatitis A:  2 doses (0,6-12 mos or 0, 6-18 mos.)
Hepatitis B:  3 doses (0,1-2, 4-6 mos)
Meningococcal:  1 or more doses between age 19-75+

Hope this helps others.

Sandy

[often]

I sure wouldn't be concerned without knowing what the "certain risk factors" are.  I'll stick with the flu and pneumonia and the heck with the rest.

[UFGators]

My mom who is 65 recently got pneumococcal meningitis despite the fact that her doctor said that it "wouldn't be worth it for her to get the vaccine." She should have just demanded it...that is what you have to do. With the advent of the internet we, as patients, are no longer stuck in the dark about what we should or should not be doing to stay healthy.

[often]

As I said....I would want to know those "certain risk factors" before I panicked and ran to my doc.  I agree that we need to stand up for our health...but being an informed patient also means not asking for every thing we read about without doing the proper research....I don't fall into the high risk area. You also need to be aware that sometimes the risk of the vaccine outweighs the risk of the disease.

I don't know your mom's situation, and I am sorry she didn't get the shot if she wanted it....the doc should not have blown her off and done as she requested after a serious discussion.

[caregiver222]

There are many things to consider with vaccines. If you get them, request a single dose vial. Multiple dose vials often have a mercury based preservative. Probably this isn't all that toxic (I really don't know - literature suggests it is), but why take a chance. What many people don't know (including most physicians) is that all killed bacteria vaccines induce the production of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) that eliminates cancer cells. The person who discovered this was Dr. Coley (who founded Sloan Kettering, incidentally). During the 1930's killed bacterial vaccines were first-line cancer therapy and marketed by Lily under the name "Coley Toxins". Dr. Coley discovered that approximately 18% of terminal malignancies would undergo complete remission upon treatment with killed bacteria vaccines. There were two extensive articles on Dr. Coley's work in the magazine Scientif American. Do a search.