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As we head into flu season, there's an ongoing debate over whether flu shots actually protect the elderly from getting sick. While the medical community continues to study the shot's effectiveness, it does have one clear message for the elderly: Get your flu shot, especially if you're 65 or older.
Researchers are looking at whether the flu vaccine actually works for those in that age group. The Centers for Disease Control is clear on this one, the flu vaccine is the single best way to protect yourself from the flu. But a study published last month in the journal Lancet questioned the vaccine's effectiveness in the elderly. And this week, a Canadian study argued the vaccine's benefits for the elderly have been exaggerated.
The head of the University of Utah division of geriatrics, Dr. Mark Supiano, says that debate is nothing new. According to him, "The antibody levels produced are not as high as they are in younger people, so the efficacy is somewhat diminished."
Diminished, yes, but health experts agree there is added defense with the vaccine. "You may still get influenza, but the severity of the episode will be less and the complications of getting influenza will be less if you've had the vaccine," Supiano said.
The Canadian study backs that up. It found those who didn't get the vaccine were more likely to die. But those who died may have been in poor health. "This is really more a health care system access issue. And we need to be certain that all patients and all older people are getting equal access to preventative measures, such as the flu vaccine," Supiano said.
Supiano says that the outcome of these studies may confuse patients but, combined, the studies make medicine better. "That does call into question the need for additional research. We need to identify ways to improve the outcome of the vaccine for older people. But in the meantime, older people should continue to get the vaccine," he said.
So again, if you're older than 65, get your flu shot. Flu shot clinics at the Salt Lake Valley Health Department will begin Oct. 13.
E-mail: lprichard@ksl.com
