FLu Vaccines For The Elderly – The Stronger The Better
May 29, 2006 by admin
Filed under Diseases & Conditions
Docguide.com is reporting on an article in the May 22 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine which states: “High-dose influenza vaccines may increase elderly patients’ immune response without significant adverse effects, offering this vulnerable population additional protection against the flu.”
Vaccines containing inactivated influenza virus have been available for 50 years to prevent flu and its complications, according to background information in the article. Immune responses decrease with age, however, and currently available flu vaccines are not always effective in the elderly. Recommended vaccines contain 15 micrograms (mcg) of inactivated virus per strain.
Wendy A. Keitel, MD, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, and colleagues studied the response to vaccines containing 15, 30 and 60 mcg of virus among 202 individuals age 65 years and older (average age 72.4) in 2002. The 60-mcg level was selected as the highest dosage because manufacturers would reasonably be able to produce that type of vaccine.
Participants were randomly assigned to receive one of the three vaccines or a placebo injection and then were monitored daily for one week afterward. They were also examined 30 minutes, two days and 28 days after the vaccine and were contacted six months later to inquire about serious adverse events or side effects. Blood was drawn before the immunization and one month after.
On average, individuals who received higher dosages of vaccine had higher concentrations of antibodies against the flu virus in their blood one month later. In addition, a larger percentage of those who received the higher-dose vaccines had what physicians believe is a sufficient immune response to protect them from developing the flu if they were exposed to the virus.
With all of the focus currently on the bird flu, it is easy to overlook the regular old seasonal flu. In the Southern Hemisphere flu season is just starting. People of all ages need to be sure to get vaccinated against the seasonal flu.
High-Dose Flu Vaccines Appear to Safely Boost Immunity in Elderly
