What is the Fluzone High-Dose vaccine?
The Fluzone High-Dose vaccine was designed especially for people ages 65 and older. It contains a higher dose of antigen than regular influenza shots, therefore offering more immunity.
Why is a higher dose vaccine needed for adults 65 and older?
Immune defenses become weaker with age, which places older people at greater risk of severe illness from influenza. Also, the body’s ability to have a good immune response after getting the vaccine weakens with age. A higher dose of antigen in the vaccine is supposed to give older people a better immune response, and therefore, better protection against flu.
Is the high-dose vaccine effective?
Data from clinical trials comparing the high-dose vaccine with the regular dose do indicate a stronger immune response. However, ongoing studies have yet to determine whether this leads to greater protection against flu-related illness.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
When Bill and Shiras Guion of Canton went for their annual flu vaccine, they never even got out of their car.
The senior citizens drove up to the Cherokee County Health Department in Woodstock, filled out some papers, stuck an arm out the window for a shot and a band-aid, then went on their way.
“We like the drive-through because it’s quick and convenient,” Mrs. Guion said of the makeshift flu shot clinic, sponsored by the North Georgia Health District.
Seniors are disproportionally affected by influenza. About 90 percent of deaths and 60 percent of hospitalizations related to seasonal flu occur in adults 65 and older, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Using these one-day, drive-by clinics, and other public initiatives, area health officials are handing out information and urging seniors to get vaccinated as early as possible. They’re also dispelling myths.
“One of the biggest fears they have is thinking, ‘I’m going to get sick’ (if I get the vaccine),” said Jennifer Gill, director of Cobb County Senior Services.
But it’s impossible to get influenza from the vaccine because it does not contain the live virus, said Dr. Jack Kennedy, medical director, Cobb Douglas Public Health.
Instead, getting vaccinated is the single best way to prevent getting the flu, he said.
“Sometimes seniors say they feel healthy and haven’t had the flu before, so they think they don’t need the flu shot. The truth is, as you age, your immune system typically weakens. This means that no matter how healthy we feel or active we are, when we are 65 years of age and older, we are more vulnerable to the flu and its related complications,” Kennedy said.
The flu season typically starts in the fall, peaks around January, and hangs around into the spring months. It takes about two weeks for immunity to take hold after the vaccination.
Seniors 65 and older can boost their immunity with the Fluzone High-Dose Vaccine, which has a higher dose of antigen. Data shows it to be 24 percent more effective at preventing influenza in older adults than the standard dose, Kennedy said.
Georgia Public Health officials recommend the higher-dose antigen for older adults, but federal health experts have not yet made a preference between the two dosage levels. The CDC has called for more effective flu vaccines for the elderly.
Getting a flu shot has never been more convenient and inexpensive. It’s offered at work sites, pharmacies, supermarkets, walk-in clinics and the like. For senior citizens, Medicare picks up the total bill.
Area health services are having success in reaching older adults with these temporary shot clinics. Seniors have been some of the most frequent clients at the drive-by clinics, said North Georgia Health District spokesperson Jennifer King.
“They tend to like the convenience, and now that we offer the high-dose flu vaccine, we find that a large percentage of the doses we’re giving at our drive-by clinics are high dose,” King said.
Gwinnett, Newton and Rockdale health departments had a positive response from the elderly at recent vaccine clinics held in September at select Wal-Mart stores, said communications manager Karen Shields.
Cobb County Senior Services has partnered with the National Council on Aging to support Flu + You, a national initiative educating older adults and their caretakers about the dangers of influenza.
During Senior Day at the North Georgia Fair in Marietta, Cobb health workers offered the vaccine and distributed information about influenza.
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