Page 27 - Senior Times South Central Michigan - September 2017 - 24-09

Senior Times - September 2017
Page 27
269.781.4251
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very young, have a weakened immune system, or have heart or lung disease. You can protect yourself against the serious types of blood and brain infec- tions by getting vaccinated.
People sometimes call pneu- mococcal disease "pneumonia." Pneumococcal disease is caused by bacteria, which can lead to serious infections in the lungs, blood, and brain. You can catch the pneumococ- cal bacteria from people who cough or sneeze around you.
The first pneumococcal vaccine that older adults should receive is the pneu- mococcal conjugate vaccine or PCV13. The vaccine protects against 13 differ- ent strains of pneumococcal bacteria. The vaccine is currently recommended for all adults 65 years of age or older. Adults that are younger than 65, may need to receive this vaccine if they have weakened immune system from medi- cations or certain health conditions.
The second vaccine for protection against pneumococcal disease is pneu- mococcal polysaccharide vaccine or PPSV23. This is the vaccine that we have been using for years to protect older adults from pneumococcal dis- ease. This particular vaccine provides protection against 23 strains of pneu- mococcal bacteria.
Who should get the pneumococcal vaccine? The current vaccine is recom- mended to all adults 65 years of age and older. In most cases you will only need one vaccination in your lifetime.
With the addition of PCV13 vaccine in the adult immunization recommenda- tions, some folks may need to catch up in order to be current in their vaccine coverage. As we heard previously, how long you may need to wait to receive each one of the vaccines can be as long as a year. With this new schedule, it can be rather confusing on when is the right time to get each vaccine.
Shingles is a painful disease caused by the same virus that causes chicken- pox. It is also called zoster.
Shingles usually includes a pain- ful rash with blisters that can occur in a patch or a streak anywhere on your body, even the face and eyes. The main symptom of shingles is severe pain. Some will have severe pain that can continue even long after their rash clears up.
It estimated that 30% of people who have been infected with chickenpox will develop shingles/zoster.
Although some medicines can help treat the symptoms of shingles, there is no cure.
The best way to prevent shingles and its serious complications is to get
vaccinated. You should get the shingles shot if you are age 60 years or older, even if you’ve already had shingles. It is possible to get the disease more than once. The vaccine available today on the market is called Zostavax.
Everyone should have a copy of their immunization records readily available with this important information. If you are unable to locate your immunization records, you can work with your phar- macist to complete an Immunization Assessment. Then you and your phar- macist can work with your doctor to identify the immunizations that are appropriate for you. Based on what you need, your pharmacist may be able to provide the immunization you need on that day.
It may be helpful for you to know that the cost of many of the immu- nizations we talked about today are a covered benefit under your health plans.
Tdap (for Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis) and Zostavax (for Shingles) is a covered benefit under the Medicare Part D, drug program.
The influenza (flu) and pneumococ- cal (pneumonia) vaccines are covered under the Medicare Part B program.
For those of you that may not have Medicare coverage, many of the vac- cines that we talked about today may be covered under your medical or pharma- cy benefits. Talk with your pharmacist to learn about what might be the best way to utilize these benefits to make your immunizations affordable to you.
Adults need to continue to keep their immunizations up to date. Being immunized against preventable diseases does not stop at childhood. Seniors should continue to be an example of good health. Important immunizations for adults against vaccine preventable diseases include: Influenza Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis Pneumococcal, and Shingles. To help you to determine what you need, ask your pharmacist or doctor which vaccines they would rec- ommended for you
In addition to immunizations, your local Walgreens pharmacist is always available to help you decide what vac- cine you might need. Our pharmacists are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to answer your questions either in person or on our website.
Be well, stay well!
Walgreens' Balance Rewards for healthy choicesTM program is just one tool to help you make healthy choices by rewarding you for tracking your blood pressure, exercise, weight, sleep, and more.
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