by Jennifer Golden - Pharmacist
Join Celebration Magazine for an educational webinar on Tuesday, February 15th, 2 pm-3 pm. Jennifer Golden, a clinical pharmacist with Tom Thumb, will be instructing on recommended immunizations for seniors. She will also discuss the importance of protecting yourself and protection against severe significant infection-related complications affecting seniors today and answer your questions regarding immunizations.
According to the CDC, “In the United States, 1.5 million people were diagnosed with pneumonia in an emergency department during 2018. Unfortunately, more than 40,000 people died from the disease that year in the United States. Most of the people affected by pneumonia in the United States are adults. Vaccines and appropriate treatment (like antibiotics and antivirals) could prevent many of these deaths—globally and in the United States.”
Also, learn about travel recommended vaccines that everyone should consider before your next vacation inside or outside the United States. The CDC has maps of recommended travel vaccines by state, country, and continent. Some countries require proof of vaccinations before you enter the country.
You will be surprised how many seniors do not know what vaccines are recommended for their age group and new vaccines on the horizon. There are two new pneumococcal vaccines, Prevnar 20® and Vaxneuvance®, expected to be approved in 2022 with broader coverage than the two current vaccines on the market and phasing out older pneumococcal vaccines. Therefore, decreasing overall pneumococcal disease, hospitalizations, and healthcare costs. Once approved, immunization recommendations and guidelines will be updated to reflect these two new vaccines. We will compare the different vaccinations to help you decide which vaccinations are right for you based on age and other concurrent disease states.
Immunization guidelines are constantly changing and updated, so it is extremely important to communicate with your pharmacist or other healthcare provider regarding your vaccination status. Pharmacists are the number one accessible healthcare professional able to offer guidance and facts free of charge at a moment’s notice. It is extremely important to establish a close relationship with your pharmacist to help you with all your immunization and healthcare needs. As our bodies age, it is natural that our immune systems weaken, and we take more medications to help control and prevent diseases.
Come prepared with your vaccination record from your primary care doctor or pharmacy. We will discuss immunization recommendations and indications for everyone 50 and older made by ACIP (Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices) and approved by the CDC (Centers of Disease Control and Prevention) for influenza, tetanus and diphtheria and acellular pertussis, recombinant zoster, various pneumococcal, hepatitis A and B, measles mumps and rubella, various meningococcal, and other travel recommended vaccinations such as yellow fever, typhoid, polio, and cholera.•
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