According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 36,000 people die each year from flu-related diseases. The figure is based on an average of influenza deaths reported in the 1990s, which ranged between 17,000 and 52,000 per year. About 90 percent of the estimated 36,000 deaths occur in seniors age 65 and older, says the CDC. Both medical authorities and government agencies say that vaccination is the only effective way to prevent contracting influenza and avoid serious complications that may result in death.
Time Frame
Each year a vaccine is formulated to protect against the three virus strains expected to be most prevalent in the upcoming flu season. The new vaccines are generally available for distribution by early autumn, which is the best time to be vaccinated, according to MayoClinic.com. The peak flu season in the Northern Hemisphere typically runs from December through March, and it can take as long as two weeks for a senior to develop immunity after getting a shot.
Significance
Among healthy adults, a flu vaccine can prevent 70 percent to 90 percent of influenza-specific illness, says the World Health Organization (WHO). Nursing home residents, the chronically ill and people over the age of 65 are considered to be the most high-risk groups. The WHO states that a flu vaccine reduces risk of severe illness and complications by up to 60 percent in the high-risk population, and reduced deaths from flu by 80 percent.
Potential
In December 2009, the Food and Drug Administration approved Fluzone High-Dose, an inactivated flu vaccine with four times as much antigen as the standard flu vaccine, specifically developed for seniors. Because a lower immune response is associated with the older adult population, seniors age 65 years and older are at a greater risk for complications from seasonal influenza, says the CDC. Initial clinical studies show Fluzone High-Dose heightens immune response in comparison to the standard dose Fluzone. Additional studies are ongoing as of June 2010.
Considerations
Results of studies to determine the effectiveness of flu vaccines for older adults are limited. Of 64 studies published in the past 35 years, only five examined the effectiveness of the vaccine in preventing the flu or flu-like illness, says physician-researcher Steven Wolshin, M.D., in an article published in the "Washington Post." Although seniors who received a placebo were twice as likely to get the flu than those who received an actual vaccine, Dr. Wolshin points out that despite the major increase in vaccinations of the elderly population, the number of deaths from flu and pneumonia has not declined.
Theories/Speculation
It is important to keep in mind that statistics quoted by health organizations are based on data collected during a typical flu season, and cannot be projected in the event of a world-wide pandemic. In reality, it is difficult to know the number of deaths resulting from flu-related disease, as older adults often have other diseases that put them at risk for developing flu-like complications resulting in death. One possible explanation for the perceived success of the flu vaccine, is that older adults who choose to be vaccinated are likely to be healthier than those who decline the shot, or whose physical condition prevented them from doing so.
