Seniors: Pneumonia Shots Can Be Critical to Health
On the radio this morning, there was a short piece done on the importance of seniors getting a pneumonia shot. Senior Health Advisor
"Who should have the shot?
Your healthcare provider may recommend the shot if:
* You are 65 years old or older.
* You are scheduled to have chemotherapy (have the shot at least 2 weeks before chemotherapy starts).
* You have diabetes, heart disease, chronic lung disease, kidney disease, or liver disease.
* You have leukemia, Hodgkin's disease, multiple myeloma, or lymphoma.
* You are an alcoholic.
* You have HIV/AIDS, an organ transplant, or another condition that has weakened your immune system.
* You have sickle cell disease.
* Your spleen has been removed.You should have no more than 2 shots of the pneumonia vaccine in your lifetime. The shots should be given at least 5 years apart."
Don't get the vaccination if you have an allergic reaction to mercury or are a smoker.
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Great post, Alysia. We hear and see so much emphasis on the flu shot, and yet pneumonia can be a killer especially in the older population.
Here's an NPR piece on the pneumonia shot:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16094490
And here's a good page for people interested in knowing how the shot can prevent pneumonia:
http://www.fbhc.org/Patients/Modules/pneumonia.cfm
And since side effects always are an issue, it seems that those associated with this shot are fairly mild:
"Some people have mild side effects from the shot, but these usually are minor and last only a very short time. In studies, about half of the people getting the vaccine had mild side effects--swelling and soreness at the spot where the shot was given, usually on the arm.
"A few people (less than 1 percent) had fever and muscle pain as well as more serious swelling and pain on the arm. The pneumonia shot cannot cause pneumonia because it is not made from the bacteria itself, but from a bacterial component that is not infectious."
You still have to be cautious, as some people do have flu shot side effects. But a bout of pneumonia in an older person can be devastatingly serious, so it's seriously worth consideration.
Can a pneumonia and flu shot raise your blood sugar level
Hello Anon -
That's a good question. I've done some research, and have not found any information that indicates having these shots affects blood sugar levels. There are, however, several important considerations that anyone with diabetes should be aware of.
Please see the following article from US News and World Report:
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/diabetes/2009/10/02/diabetes-an...
Take good care,
Pat