Seasonal Flu Shot Does Not Protect Elderly

Immune system boosting chiropractic care for people age 65 and older has never been more important, especially as flu season begins to ramp up. Consider the following:

The September 2, 2008 issue of the New York Times ran the article “Doubts Grow Over Flu Vaccine in Elderly”. The article basically said that a growing number of immunologists and epidemiologists believe the influenza vaccine is fairly inneffective at protecting the elderly from contracting the flu virus. To back up their claim take a look at the facts; the population category of people age 70 and older account for 75% of all flu-related deaths. If the seasonal flu vaccine is effective why are so many elderly people getting the flu shot, yet still contracting the flu, and then dying from the flu? Studies show that prior to contracting the flu many victims of influenza already struggled with a poor immune system and medical problems, making them more succeptable to the flu.

The National Vital Statistics Report, published by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in 2006, found that 1,138 deaths occur each year solely due to influenza. Compare that to pneumonia which causes over 60,000 deaths each year. Even though the seasonal flu can sometimes lead to pneumonia, a flu shot has not been found to decrease the number of reported cases of pneumonia. What’s more, in 1989 just 15 percent of the elderly population got the flu shot. That number increased to 65 percent by mid-2000. During this time there has been no decrease in flu or pneumonia deaths among that age bracket.

Does it look like the seasonal flu shot is working?

The elderly’s best defense against the flu—everyone’s best defense against the flu—is to take natural and healthy preventive measures. Wash your hands frequently. Boost your body’s immune system and ability to ward off the flu virus by getting a weekly chiropractic adjustment. Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables; lay off processed foods and sugars. And exercise each week.