It’s Vaccine Season for Senior Citizens

With the fall and winter months approaching, this is the time of year when health experts urge seniors over the age of 65 to get their annual flu and COVID-19 shots.

The benefits of both vaccines are huge for even the healthiest of seniors and far outweigh the rare risks of side effects. (If a person is concerned about the possibility of side effects, they should consult their doctor.)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that in most flu seasons, 70% to 85% of flu-related deaths occur in people 65 and older.

This past winter (the 2024-2025 season), it is estimated  that there were approximately 27,000 deaths from the flu and at least 610,000 hospitalizations for influenza. (And who wants to go to a hospital these days?)

Another important reason to get an annual flu vaccine is that researchers have known for more than a decade that the flu vaccine confers major protection for seniors that can help reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes, particularly in individuals with existing heart disease,

Those findings were confirmed in another study in a 2023 meta-analysis that showed a significant reduction in the risk of heart attacks and cardiovascular deaths among those who are vaccinated.

As for COVID-19, unvaccinated older adults are at great risk for severe COVID-19 illness, hospitalization, and death, even if they have had COVID shots in the past.

Although the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic is in our rear-view mirror, there still were an estimated 47,000 COVID-related deaths in the U.S. in 2024,  of whom the majority were senior citizens. In addition, seniors over the age of 65 accounted for two-thirds of COVID hospitalizations in 2024. (And again, can you imagine a fate worse than being in a hospital these days?)

The third shot that seniors should get (after consultation with their doctor) is the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) vaccine. Although not as common or as deadly as the flu and COVID-19, the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (just the name alone gives us the creeps) causes severe respiratory illness that can lead to death and hospitalization, especially in older adults and those with underlying health conditions, for which the vaccine provides great protection.

An estimated 6000-10,000 Americans died from RSV infections in 2024 and many thousands more were hospitalized, with the vast majority being senior citizens.

A nice thing about the RSV vaccine is that it’s a one-time shot — it does not need to be given annually like the flu or COVID-19 vaxes. So you can get it now, and it’s one-and-done.

Vaccines are THE best means by which our senior citizens (who should consult with their doctor about side-effects) can protect themselves (and we’re in that cohort) from the debilitating and deadly effects of  influenza, COVID-19, and RSV — and now is the time to do it.