The following article is of interest to all of us, It is from Zoomer Promotions, written by Pfizer
Canada who want seniors to get vaccinated. So there is an agenda behind what they write, but the advice is sound.
Pneumonia is a leading cause of emergency department
visits in Canada with an increase of 13 percent in 2017-18 from the year
before. And older adults made up approximately 65 percent of pneumonia-related
hospital admissions.
Older adults are especially susceptible to pneumonia,
says Dr. Samir Sinha, Director of Geriatrics at Sinai Health System and the
University Health Network, who was appointed by the Government of Ontario to
serve as the expert lead of Ontario's Seniors Strategy.
“Some people may experience complications and will be
hospitalized. If they have difficulty breathing, they may even require the use
of a breathing tube in the most severe cases.”
He explains, “As we get older, two things can happen. The immune system weakens with time — we call it ‘immune senescence’ — and as you
get more mileage, you can encounter heart disease and diabetes that increase
the risk of pneumococcal pneumonia. And a hospitalization could impact your
mobility after recovery.
“Right now, a lot of people underestimate how dangerous
pneumococcal pneumonia can be,” warns Dr. Sinha. “If people understood the
disease better, they’d understand how important it is to help protect
themselves against it.”
Dr. Sinha recommends that every adult over 65 should be
vaccinated.
Discussing with your health provider which vaccines are
suitable or recommended to help protect against flu, shingles, tetanus and
pneumococcal pneumonia, is what every older Canadian should consider, advises
Dr. Sinha.
Vaccination does not protect 100% of those who are
vaccinated and does not treat the infection or reduce the risk of complications
such as hospitalization.
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