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Tag: Flu shot

  • What’s long flu and are you at risk?

    What’s long flu and are you at risk?

    Over the last few years, we’ve heard a lot about people with “long Covid,” who cannot shed the Covid virus and develop chronic and serious symptoms that can last a long time. We’ve heard little about “long flu,” another chronic condition that can develop after having had a bad case of influenza. Time Magazine reports on a study published in The Lancet on the risks of long flu for older adults.

    Nearly one in seven people who get Covid end up with long Covid. Who ends up with long flu and what are the consequences? Relative to Covid, it appears that long flu is less severe. You are less likely to die and you are less likely to experience scores of challenging symptoms that many people with long Covid experience, including exhaustion, brain fog, breathing issues, heart issues and gastrointestinal issues.

    Though long Covid symptoms are worse and more plentiful than long flu symptoms, long flu symptoms are nothing to sneeze at. (Pun intended). It’s common to experience long flu symptoms. Researchers found 615 health issues for every 100 people they studied with Covid and 537 health issues for every 100 people they studied with the flu. All of the people studied had been hospitalized for their conditions, and they were all older, with an average age of 70.

    The Lancet study findings are aligned with earlier findings. In a 2021 study of people, some of whom were hospitalized and some not, about four in ten of those with influenza continued to experience at least one long Covid symptom in the six months following their influenza.

    To protect yourself, get your vaccines–Medicare covers them–wear a mask when you are surrounded by other people, and stay home when you are feeling ill.

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  • It’s once again time to get your flu shot!

    It’s once again time to get your flu shot!

    It’s important to get the flu shot every year, no matter how old you are. It’s particularly important for older adults. And, it is all the more important with Covid-19 surging. Now that it’s sweater weather, it’s time to get your flu shot!

    Talk to your doctor about getting the flu shot and about whether you should get a special vaccine available for people over 65. The good news: Medicare covers the full cost of a flu shot.

    You do not need to go to the doctor’s office for your flu shot. You can likely get the flu shot at your local pharmacy or your local supermarket. More pharmacies are offering drive-through and curbside flu shots, in addition to in-store vaccines.

    Why get the flu shot now? That’s how you best protect yourself, the people you love and your community. The flu, like Covid-19, can be lethal. It kills thousands of people each year. Because people have been taking precautions against Covid-19 though, in 2021-22, the CDC found a significant drop in hospitalizations and deaths from the flu. Ten thousand people in the US were hospitalized from the flu and 5,000 people died. Older adults are more likely to die from the flu than younger people.

    The flu vaccine takes between two and four weeks to become effective. So, even if you get it now, it might not protect you from the flu until the end of October. It will not protect you from Covid-19, though the symptoms can be quite similar–a cough, a cold, sore throat, fever. You should also talk to your doctor about getting the Covid-19 booster shot, now available; also ask whether you should get the new RSV vaccine.

    Sometimes the flu shot will not keep you from getting the flu. However, even if you get the flu, the flu shot reduces the odds that it will be a severe case. The flu shot may keep you from being hospitalized for the flu or, worse still, from being in the intensive care unit of the hospital. It also reduces your risk of death.

    You shouldn’t wait to get the flu shot. No one knows whether the flu season will begin this month or next. You want to protect yourself as soon as possible.

    You need the flu shot even if you haven’t gotten the flu before. (There is one exception: People who are allergic to the flu vaccine.)  There is only benefit from getting the flu shot. The flu shot cannot give you the flu.

    Here’s some good news: Everything you are doing to protect yourself from Covid-19–social distancing, wearing a mask and regular hand washing–should also minimize your chance of getting the flu!

    A version of this post was originally published on September 9, 2020.

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  • How to keep healthy this flu and Covid season

    How to keep healthy this flu and Covid season

    It’s getting colder outside and that means that you are more likely to get sick with a virus. The cold weather won’t make you sick. But, viruses spread more easily when it’s cold out. Hannah Seo reports for the New York Times on four ways to strengthen your immune system and reduce your risk of getting sick this flu and Covid season.

    1. Believe it or not, exercise and other activities that get you moving, such as walking and dancing, help ward off sickness. One study found that people who exercise at least five times a week got sick less often from an upper respiratory tract infection than people who exercised rarely. That said, overall, people who did a little exercise were less likely to get sick than people who did not exercise at all.
    2. Enough sleep and good quality sleep also give your body what it needs to ward off viruses. You should sleep more than seven hours a night.
    3. Eating healthy, particularly different colored fruits and vegetables, gives your body flavonoids, which fight inflammation and illness.
    4. Make sure you get this year’s flu shot and the Covid-19 bivalent booster. If you have Medicare, you should pay nothing for them.

    Why is exercise helpful in warding off sickness? It stimulates immune cells to wipe out cells infected with a virus.

    Why is proper sleep helpful? It regulates stress, lowering inflammation, strengthening your immune system and allowing your body to fight off infection.

    Why is a proper diet helpful? Processed foods, cigarette smoke, excessive alcohol intake can keep your immune system from working well. Supplements also are of no help, based on the evidence, and often contain ingredients that can be harmful to your health. It’s better to eat a good diet.

    Why are vaccines helpful? They give your body the antibodies needed to fight off flus and Covid-19 infections. And, even if you catch the flu or get Covid-19, if you’ve been vaccinated, you will increase your chances of having only a mild case.

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  • Coronavirus: Get your flu shot early!

    Coronavirus: Get your flu shot early!

    It’s important to get the flu shot every year, no matter how old you are. It’s particularly important for older adults. And, it is all the more important during this coronavirus pandemic. With summer coming to a close, it’s time to get your flu shot!

    Talk to your doctor about getting the flu shot and about whether you should get a special vaccine available for people over 65. The good news: Medicare covers the full cost of a flu shot.

    You likely do not need to go to the doctor’s office for your flu shot. More pharmacies are offering drive-through and curbside flu shots, in addition to in-store vaccines.

    Why get the flu shot now? That’s how you best protect yourself, the people you love and your community. The flu, like the novel coronavirus, can be lethal. It kills tens of thousands of people each year. In 2018, 80,000 people died of  the flu. And, older adults are more likely to die from the flu than younger people.

    The flu vaccine takes between two and four weeks to become effective. So, even if you get it now, it might not protect you from the flu until mid-October. It will not protect you from the novel coronavirus, though the symptoms can be quite similar–a cough, a cold, sore throat, fever.

    Unfortunately, sometimes the flu shot will not keep you from getting the flu. However, even if you get the flu, the flu shot reduces the odds that it will be a severe case. The flu shot may keep you from being hospitalized for the flu or, worse still, from being in the intensive care unit of the hospital. It also reduces your risk of death.

    You should not wait to get the flu shot. No one knows whether the flu season will begin this month or next. You want to protect yourself as soon as possible.

    You need the flu shot even if you have not gotten the flu before. (The only exceptions are people who are allergic to the flu vaccine.)  There is only benefit from getting the flu shot. The flu shot cannot give you the flu.

    Here’s some good news: Everything you are doing to protect yourself from the novel coronavirus–social distancing, wearing a mask and regular hand washing–should also minimize your chance of getting the flu!

    This post was originally published on September 9, 2020.

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  • Five ways to ensure the people you love are safe and healthy 

    Five ways to ensure the people you love are safe and healthy 

    At least once a year, every caregiver should engage the older people they love in what can be difficult conversations. No child looks forward to being a parent to her mom or dad; no one wants to have to speak with a spouse about exercising more, rethinking a medication regimen or considering stopping driving.  But, that’s often what needs to happen. Here are five ways you can help ensure the people you love are safe and healthy.

    1. Make sure they get an annual flu shot.  This should be easy since often the local pharmacy will administer the shot.  The shot minimizes the risk that older adults will develop flu-related health problems, including pneumonia and worsening chronic conditions. [Editor’s note: Also make sure they get their Covid-19 vaccine and booster shots.]
    1. Check out what drugs they are taking.  And, make a list of them, along with the names and phone numbers of their doctors, both for yourself and for their wallets.  If they keep the list on them, and you have a backup copy, it will help ensure their doctors are best prepared to treat them.
    1. Ask them about painkiller prescriptions they take as well as over the counter drugs, like Tylenol.  Too much acetaminophen can be dangerous. Prescription painkillers, such as Percocet or Vicodin, can be even more dangerous, particularly if mixed with alcohol, tranquilizers or other drugs.
    1. Try to nudge them to exercise. A brisk walk can reduce the likelihood of stroke and help prolong their lives. If they are not inclined to move, ask them what might get them out of the house.  Sometimes, a companion can make all the difference.  Anything they can do to move their bodies is great, including in hospital. Sometimes, showing them some easy exercises can work.  You can find simple balance exercises that the National Institutes on Health recommends here. For information about free and low-cost exercise programs in your community, visit the eldercare locator.
    1. Talk to them about driving if they are still driving. Many people can drive all their lives.  But, both mental and physical reflexes can weaken as you age.  The National Institute on Aging offers great advice on when and how you can help someone you love decide to stop driving.

    And, if you need help motivating them to change an unhealthy behavior, here are six tips that could help.

    Of course, there’s more you can do, including making their homes easier and safer to live in: for example, make sure floor surfaces are smooth to reduce the likelihood of tripping, install ramps and  raise toilet seats. More on that in a separate post.

    (This post was originally published on April 10, 2015.)

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  • To improve your immune response after a vaccine, exercise!

    To improve your immune response after a vaccine, exercise!

    Sometimes, it seems as if exercise is a cure-all. Walking is important to speed your recovery in the hospital, among other reasons, and aerobic exercise has many other benefits. Gretchen Reynolds reports for The New York Times on a new study that finds exercise could improve the efficacy of a vaccine, be it a Covid-19 vaccine or a flu vaccine.

    All kinds of exercise could help improve your immunity after a vaccine. For example, walking, biking and jogging are all helpful for raising people’s antibodies after having a vaccine.

    The study measured people’s antibodies after engaging in a range of different aerobic activity for 90 minutes following a vaccine. People who exercised produced a higher degree of interferon alpha, which increases your antibodies. The researchers believe that these additional antibodies from exercising reduces people’s risk of getting really sick after a flu shot or Covid-19 vaccine. Notably, exercise did not appear to bring more side effects or reduce side effects.

    The study was conducted on 70 people and needs to be expanded to a much larger cohort to learn more. Still, it appears that physical fitness and daily exercise helps strengthen our bodies to ward off illness. Exercise transforms the way immune cells in our bodies operate, for the better.

    To date, data show that physical activity protects people against all sorts of mild respiratory infections. And, when people in good shape fall ill, being physically fit can reduce the seriousness of the illness.

    A recent study of nearly 50,000 people with Covid-19 in California determined that the Californians who were not physically fit and had not been exercising before getting Covid-19 were around twice as likely to be hospitalized as their counterparts who were fit and active.

    Don’t feel like exercising after getting a vaccine? Try moving your arm a lot before getting the shot. One recent study found that moving your arm before a vaccine also increased antibody levels and specialized immune cells.

    What’s the right amount of exercise? We don’t yet know.The researchers found that 45 minutes was not enough to boost antibodies to a statistically significant degree. But, 90 minutes of exercise was. They did not measure the effects of 60 minutes of exercise.

    However, it’s not clear that excessive exercise is beneficial. Some data suggest it could undermine immunity. But, we’re talking marathoners, so most of us have no need to worry about excess.

    How long will exercise help with antibody levels and stronger immune responses? More research is needed. This study only measured people’s responses after one month.

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  • How older adults can best protect themselves from the coronavirus

    How older adults can best protect themselves from the coronavirus

    Everywhere you turn, it seems there’s news about the coronavirus (Covid-19). It is spreading across the world, and now in the US, at a seemingly rapid clip. Never leaving your home and closing your door to all visitors is likely the best way to protect yourself from it. Because that’s an extreme solution, here’s what you should know.

    It’s unclear how many Americans have the coronavirus, since testing kits have not been available to the extent necessary. But, there are a few hundred reported cases,, and the numbers are likely to increase substantially. In some ways, the coronavirus is like the flu.

    The virus spreads from person to person, as well as from hard and soft surfaces–such as doorknobs, faucets, elevator buttons and clothing–to people. Some experts believe the virus can live for as long as nine days on some surfaces. That’s why it is so important to wash your hands often with soap and water. Alcohol and other disinfectants kill the virus easily.

    That said, some experts believe the evidence shows that it can spread through the air. For this reason, more experts are recommending you wear a mask or at least a cover over your mouth and nose when you are anywhere near other people.

    Because people who have no symptoms can spread the virus, you could be exposed to contagious people without realizing it. To protect yourself, keep a distance of at least feet from other people, and stay away from people who are sick. Wash your hands frequently with soap and water.

    If you think you may have the virus, both Medicare and Medicaid pay for testing and treatment. Contact your doctor and stay away as best possible from other people. Typical symptoms include fever, cough and shortness of breath.

    One challenge with containing the spread of the virus through testing and treatment is that people may have the coronavirus without knowing it, as it can take up to two weeks after getting the virus for symptoms to appear. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention head, Dr. Robert Redfield, says that one in four people with the novel coronavirus never exhibit symptoms.

    Keep your hands off of your face and avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. It is through your eyes, nose and mouth that the virus enters your system.

    As with the flu, most people recover from the coronavirus. But, a small percentage of cases are fatal. Older adults and people in poor health are at greatest risk. Unfortunately, unlike the flu, for now, there is no coronavirus vaccine.

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  • Fall is in the air: Get your flu shot early!

    Fall is in the air: Get your flu shot early!

    It’s important to get the flu shot every year, no matter how old you are. It’s particularly important, and should be a priority for older adults. With summer coming to a close, it’s time to get your flu shot!

    Talk to your doctor about getting the flu shot and about whether you should get a special vaccine available for people over 65. The good news: Medicare covers the full cost of a flu shot.

    Why get the flu shot now? That’s how you best protect yourself, the people you love and your community. The flu vaccine takes between two and four weeks to become effective. So, even if you get it now, it might not protect you from the flu until mid-October.

    And, yes, sometimes the flu shot will not keep you from getting the flu. However, even if you get the flu, the flu shot reduces the odds that it will be a severe case. The flu shot may keep you from being hospitalized for the flu or, worse still, from being in the intensive care unit of the hospital. It also reduces your risk of death.

    Many people do not realize that the flu kills thousands of people in the US each year. In 2018, 80,000 people died of  the flu. And older adults are more likely to die from the flu than younger people.

    Should you wait to get the flu shot? No. No one knows whether the flu season will begin early. Can you wait? If you need to wait, the Centers for Disease Control recommends you not wait any longer than the end of October.

    Virtually everyone over six months old needs the flu shot even if they have not gotten the flu before. (The only exceptions are people who are allergic to the flu vaccine.)  There is only benefit from getting the flu shot. The flu shot cannot give you the flu.

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  • Older adults are far more likely to die from the flu

    Older adults are far more likely to die from the flu

    A new CDC study provides yet another reason for older adults to get the flu vaccine. Specifically, it finds that the older you are the more you should be concerned about getting the flu. It also finds that the oldest Americans are far more likely to end up in hospital and die from the flu than younger Americans.

    The 46 million people over 65 experience about nine in ten flu-related deaths and at least half of flu-related hospitalizations. The likelihood of risk increases for people after 65, when they become frailer and less functional. Medicare covers the flu shot in full as part of its package of preventive care benefits to protect older adults from contracting the flu.

    Researchers looked at health outcomes for 19,760 people age 65 and older. They found that people 85 and older were at least twice as likely to be hospitalized and as much as six times more likely to be hospitalized as people between 65 and 74. The greatest likelihood of hospitalization came during the height of the flu season.

    The likelihood of flu-related death or transfer to hospice, end-of-life care, is greater for older people living in nursing homes and other congregate care facilities as well as for people with neurologic disorders, cardiovascular disease, renal disease, chronic lung disease, and immunosuppression. People with asthma, who got the flu shot, and who received antiviral therapy were less likely to die or be hospitalized.

    People over 85 were also far more likely to develop pneumonia and die or go into hospice care (8.7 percent) than people 65-74 (3.8 percent.) People over 85 were less likely to have fever and other flu symptoms, so testing is important.

    The high-dose and adjuvented influenza vaccines may be helpful in preventing flu for older adults.

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  • Is the flu shot worth it?

    Is the flu shot worth it?

    [Editor’s note: The CDC recommends injectable flu vaccines. It recommends Fluzone high-dose flu shots or FLUAD, for people 65 and older. The high-dose vaccine has four times the amount of antigen in a regular flu shot, creating more antibodies and boosting the immune defenses of the people who get it. It provides better protection from the flu for older adults. In 2017, more than 900,000 people were hospitalized and more than 80,000 people died as a result of the flu, according to CDC estimates.]

    My patients often ask me if they should get a flu shot. My answer is yes.  Absolutely, yes. And, yes, I get the flu shot and so does my 4 year-old daughter. The flu shot works.  And, it’s safe.  If you don’t want to catch the flu, you should get the flu shot. The flu virus is …a virus.

    Antibiotics will not help you if you get the flu. The best way to prevent the flu is with a flu shot.The Centers for Disease Control, the government agency that studies disease, recommends the flu shot for anyone over 6 months old. So, if you’re over 65, you should absolutely get the flu shot. The only reason not to get they flu shot is if you are allergic to the vaccine or have other contraindications.  Most people are not allergic to it, but if for any reason you think you could be, talk to your doctor.

    I tell my patients to get the flu vaccine for two reasons: to protect themselves and to protect others. Consider it your civic duty.  If almost everyone gets the flu shot, the population as a whole becomes less susceptible. A study in Japan, demonstrated that with higher childhood vaccination rates, elderly mortality decreased. Why? Fewer kids got the flu and it could not spread as widely to others.

    So you know, the flu vaccine cannot and will not give you the flu…or a cold for that matter. They are different viruses. Bad luck is the only reason you might get the flu right after you get vaccinated because you don’t yet have the immunity. Or you may get a cold around the same time by chance.  But, there are no real side effects according to the research.  You would have the same reaction to a salt-water solution as you would from a flu shot.

    OK. Here’s the rub.  Even if you get the flu shot, you still might get the flu.  That’s because occasionally, the flu vaccine does not match the seasonal flu type. If you get a type that is not in the vaccine, you might catch the flu. If the vaccine matches the seasonal flu type, as it generally does, you should not get the flu.  But, if your immune system is not good, the flu shot is less effective but still beneficial.

    You really don’t want to get the flu. It could be very bad for your health. Older adults are at an increased risk of developing flu-related health problems, including pneumonia as well as worsening chronic health problems. If you are over 65, you should seek medical advice if you get the flu. You might need antivirals because of age-related risks.

    Help yourself and your community and get a flu shot. And, if you have Medicare, Medicare covers it.

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