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What You Need to Know About Vaccine-Preventable Diseases
Posted: Sep 21st, 2018 at 12:00AM
The vaccine debate is alive and well, but you can't argue the numbers. Research has found vaccines have reduced diseases like measles, mumps, and tetanus by more than 90%. In some cases, vaccines have managed to reduce the occurrence of certain diseases by as much as 99%, and even eliminate them completely. Yet another study found that vaccines used to protect people against 13 diseases prevented 20 millions cases of these diseases and more than 40,000 deaths. Despite all the promising findings science has uncovered, tens of thousands of adults are still dying every year from vaccine-preventable diseases.
The Numbers on Vaccine-Preventable Deaths
The startling statistic comes from Infectious Diseases and Prevention Through Vaccination, a fact sheet reviewing how infectious diseases affect seniors disproportionately, compared to other age groups. For instance, in adults age 85 years and up, the death rate from illnesses like pneumonia, the flu, and shingles — all of which have a vaccine — is 130 times higher. Each year in the United States alone, there are more than three million cases of pneumonia alone. One out of every three people in the U.S. will get shingles.
Overall, every year, 50,000 to 90,000 adult deaths in the United States are a result of vaccine-preventable diseases.
There are economic consequences, too. Failing to properly protect senior citizens with the right vaccinations makes up about 15% of all healthcare expenditures. Meanwhile, vaccinations are the most cost-effective (and effective, period) way to prevent disease.
There are a couple of main reasons why older adults aren't protected with the right vaccines. For starters, there is still a lack of education surrounding the matter, along with a population of people who are still convinced vaccinations are generally dangerous, despite a wealth of research demonstrating otherwise.
The cost of getting vaccinated serves as another hurdle for some people. While vaccines are, overwhelmingly, more accessible and affordable than they used to be, there are still people who run into challenges when trying to adequately manage their health.
Why Seniors Need Vaccines
While getting vaccinated is important for all of us, as Vaccines.gov points out, they're crucial for senior citizens for unique reasons. As you age, your immune system grows weak, making it harder for your body to fight against infections. This means seniors are at an increased for diseases such as — you guessed it — pneumonia and the flu. It doesn't stop there, either. When these illnesses go untreated, they can lead to long-term problems, hospitalization, and death.
Getting vaccinated in your older years is particularly important if you suffer from health conditions like diabetes or heart disease, which continues to be the leading cause of death for people age 65 years and older, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
It's important to remember that when you get vaccinated, it's not just for your own health. You do it to protect the people around you, as well. Herd immunity will protect the minority who can't or won't get vaccinated, but that only works as long as the majority of us get our immunizations.
On a related note, we must take extra caution to get our vaccinations because there are some people who simply can't — like babies, people with allergies, and people with severely compromised immune systems.
According to the World Health Organization, vaccines currently prevent two to three million deaths a year, and that number could go up another 1.5 million if vaccine coverage around the world improved. And, encouragingly, more children are being vaccinated around the world than in previous years. We still have work to do, though. We must continue educating people on the importance of getting vaccinations, and taking measures to assure we're staying on top of our health.
If you have questions about getting vaccinated or need help managing your health, contact e7 Health, the top vaccine center in Las Vegas, today.
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