A study in the JAMA Network Open finds that the RSV vaccine prevents 75% of respiratory infections, emergency visits, and hospitalizations in adults over 60. Recommended vaccines for seniors offer powerful protection against serious illnesses that become more dangerous with age.
Clinton, Iowa, sits along the Mississippi River in eastern Iowa, offering access to quality healthcare. The city's aging population benefits from strong medical services, but many seniors still lack important vaccinations that could prevent costly hospital stays.
Your immune system weakens as you age, making infections severe and recovery slower. Getting the right shots helps your body fight off pathogens before they cause serious problems. Read on to discover which vaccines are recommended for seniors in Clinton.
Pneumonia fills your lungs with fluid, making breathing hard and painful. Older adults face higher death risks because their immune systems fight infection poorly. A senior immunization guide should include pneumococcal vaccines as a top priority.
The vaccine prevents serious lung infections, cuts hospital stays, and reduces the risk of death. Three vaccines work for seniors, including:
If you're 65 or older, talk to your healthcare provider about which vaccine works best for you. You may need one or two doses, depending on the type of vaccine.
Common side effects include arm soreness and mild fever. Get your pneumonia vaccine at doctor offices, pharmacies, or health centers serving Clinton, Iowa assisted living communities.
Shingles causes a painful rash with blisters that can last for weeks. The virus hides in your nerves after you have chickenpox and comes back when your immune system gets weak. Nerve pain can continue for months after the rash heals.
Shingrix, the shingles vaccine, prevents about 90% of shingles cases in people over 50, according to the CDC. The vaccine also greatly reduces nerve pain if you do get shingles. Adding this shot to your senior health checklist helps avoid weeks of burning, stabbing pain.
Get Shingrix if you are 50 or older, even if you had shingles before. Skip the vaccine if you're:
Influenza causes fever, body aches, cough, and extreme tiredness that can last up to two weeks. Seniors face higher risks of pneumonia, heart problems, and hospital stays from flu complications. Adult vaccinations IA programs help protect older adults from these serious outcomes.
The flu shot prevents illness and makes symptoms milder if you do get sick. Getting vaccinated keeps you and others around you from spreading the virus.
Many assisted living Clinton, Iowa, communities encourage flu shots to protect all residents during flu season. Get your flu shot every year by October before flu season starts.
Respiratory Syncytial Virus is a common virus that hits older adults hard. It causes:
The virus hits older adults harder because their immune systems work less optimally. Like flu and shingles shots, RSV vaccination helps prevent serious complications.
The vaccine keeps you out of the hospital by lowering infection risk and serious illness. RSV shots work well for people with weaker immune systems, too. Anyone 60 or older should consider getting vaccinated, especially with heart, lung, or immunity problems.
RSV vaccines are one of the most recommended vaccines for seniors. Get your vaccine at clinics and pharmacies. Most insurance plans cover the cost.
COVID-19 hits seniors harder than younger adults, causing more hospital stays and deaths. Older adults with heart disease, diabetes, or lung problems face the highest risks from the virus.
Updated COVID vaccines protect against new virus strains that spread each year. The shots cut your chance of severe illness, hospital stays, and death. COVID vaccines also help reduce long COVID symptoms that can last for months after infection.
If you live in a community offering senior living in Clinton County, Iowa, staying up to date on vaccines helps protect you and your neighbors. The vaccine works best when paired with other prevention steps like:
The vaccine protects you against tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis. Tdap remains crucial among recommended vaccines for seniors because these diseases cause serious complications that worsen with age.
Tetanus enters through deep cuts and causes muscle spasms that can kill you. On the other hand, diphtheria blocks your throat, making breathing hard. Pertussis, also called whooping cough, causes severe coughing fits that last for weeks.
Good preventive care aging means getting Tdap shots every 10 years to stay protected. Get a booster if you cut yourself on dirty metal or glass and your last shot was over five years ago.
Hepatitis B attacks your liver and spreads through blood and body fluids. The virus causes liver damage, cancer, and death in older adults who get infected.
Seniors need this vaccine if they get medical procedures, travel, or live in group settings with shared spaces. If you live in a senior living community like Addington Place of Clinton, vaccination helps protect you and others.
The vaccine requires three shots over six months for full protection. Residents with dementia who need memory care in Clinton, Iowa, face higher infection risks. This is due to the increased need for monitoring and close assistance with daily living activities.
Seniors who travel abroad need extra protection from diseases common in other countries. Your regular vaccines may not cover these infections.
Common travel vaccines protect against:
Talk to your healthcare provider to determine the best vaccines depending on where you're traveling to.
Recommended vaccines for seniors include those for shingles, flu, pneumonia, RSV, COVID-19, Tdap, and hepatitis B. The vaccines help prevent serious illness and hospital visits. Staying current with these immunizations keeps you healthier and saves money on medical costs.
Addington Place of Clinton offerschef-made meals with tableside service and activities like exercise and art sessions. Our wellness center and on-site amenities support your health while you enjoy organized outings to local museums, parks, and shopping areas.
Contact us to discover how our health-focused community helps you live your best life in Clinton.