Experts Urge Pneumonia Shots for Elderly essays

Experts Urge Pneumonia Shots for Elderly essays Experts Urge Pneumonia shots for Elderly Because of the recent findings that there is a big shortage of flu shots, senior citizens of the ages 65 and older, have been urged to take the Pneumonia shot. This shot, called Pneumovax, is a one time shot for senior citizens. The vaccine is covered by Medicare.Younger people with heart disease and lung disease, and weak immune systems are also encouraged to use it too. For younger people though, the shot ranges from $30 to $50. Also is a person is under 65 and is taking the shot, they will have to get a booster shot after five years of taking it. This shot not only protects you from contracting pneumonia, it also prevents deadly blood infections and meningitis. This shot is not a replacement shot for the flu, but people are highly encouraged to get both shots if possible. The drug Pneumovax is always overlooked by many people, because most of them are looking for the flu shot, which always seems to come up short of the vaccine, but with this vaccine, there is never a shortage. S tudies show that 175,000 Americans are hospitalized with pneumonia. Also this germ causes more than 50,000 blood infections and up to 6,000 cases of meningitis. Almost 6,000 of those people die. The government is hoping that 90 percent of the elderly actually get the shot by the year 2010, but as statistics show now only 63 percent of them are receiving the shot now. Now what health officials are deciding to do is to expand the number of people who should get the vaccine to 50 or older, considering the fact that at this age people are more prone to the risk of getting pneumococcal disease, which will begin to rise before a more dramatic surge in the 60s. I feel that it is important for many people to go and get these shots. Senior citizens should especially abide by these recommendations. The elderlys health isnt doing anything but getting worse as they are getting older, especially thos...