Do Vaccinations Really Benefit the Elderly?

[Missouriwatcher]

"Study: Flu shots in elderly don't cut mortality rate (CIDRAP News) ""We conclude . . . that there are not enough influenza-related deaths to support the conclusion that vaccination can reduce total winter mortality among the US elderly population by as much as half," states the article, published yesterday in Archives of Internal Medicine." https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/co...05elderly.html

"Effectiveness of Influenza Vaccine in the Community-Dwelling Elderly Oct4, 2007: During 10 seasons, influenza vaccination was associated with significant reductions in the risk of hospitalization for pneumonia or influenza and in the risk of death among community-dwelling elderly persons. Vaccine delivery to this high-priority group should be improved."

http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/357/14/1373

"Mortality benefits of influenza vaccination in elderly people: an ongoing controversy. Oct7, 2007: We conclude that frailty selection bias and use of non-specific endpoints such as all-cause mortality have led cohort studies to greatly exaggerate vaccine benefits."

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17897608

"Influenza vaccination and risk of community-acquired pneumonia in immunocompetent elderly people: a population-based, nested case-control study Aug 2008: The effect of influenza vaccination on the risk of pneumonia in elderly people during influenza seasons might be less than previously estimated." http://www.thelancet.com/journals/la...160-5/abstract

"Adults aged >65 years typically have a diminished immune response to influenza vaccination compared with young healthy adults, suggesting that immunity might be of shorter duration (although still extending through one influenza season). However, a review of the published literature concluded that no clear evidence existed that immunity declined more rapidly in the elderly. Infections among the vaccinated elderly might be associated with an age-related reduction in ability to respond to vaccination rather than reduced duration of immunity?

However, studies demonstrating large reductions in hospitalizations and deaths among the vaccinated elderly have been conducted using medical record databases and have not measured reductions in laboratory-confirmed influenza illness. These studies have been challenged because of concerns that they have not adequately controlled for differences in the propensity for healthier persons to be more likely than less healthy persons to receive vaccination." Jul17, 2008 http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr57e717a1.htm

[Sonny]

Re: Do Vaccinations Really Benefit the Elderly?

Thats a slippery question. one that I had never considered until I read the 2005 or 2006, report by the cdc on the economic impact of pandemic influenza, and I know I have it bookmarked on the other PC. The mistake they made in that study is, excuse me, The point where I disagree with the findings of their study, is in the calculated economic loss when a person over the age of 65 dies. (it's not a loss it's actually a big net savings...)

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[AlaskaDenise]

Re: Do Vaccinations Really Benefit the Elderly?

........... The mistake they made in that study is, excuse me, The point where I disagree with the findings of their study, is in the calculated economic loss when a person over the age of 65 dies. (it's not a loss it's actually a big net savings...)

!

Are you saying we should let the elderly die to save money???

Many people over 65 are still working, in fact some well into their 70s. Many are CEOs. Also, retired people often work full time as volunteers - loosing that asset is clearly a loss.

In many cultures, there's a moral obligation to care for those who cared for you as a child.

If the younger generation is going to no longer feel any obligation toward those who sacrifed to raise them, then I suppose we should all save money for our old age by not having any children - where would that leave the economy?

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[Missouriwatcher]

Re: Do Vaccinations Really Benefit the Elderly?

Might this study also be applied to the elderly?

"Loneliness, Social Network Size, and Immune Response to Influenza Vaccination in College Freshmen
Those with both high levels of loneliness and a small social network had the lowest antibody response. Loneliness was also associated with greater psychological stress and negative affect, less positive affect, poorer sleep efficiency and quality, and elevations in circulating levels of cortisol."

http://www.apa.org/journals/releases/hea243297.pdf

[AlaskaDenise]

Re: Do Vaccinations Really Benefit the Elderly?

As people age the level of good bacteria in their digestive system diminishes. It's directly related to the immune system of anyone, so many studies suggest that as we age, part of the decreasing benefit from vaccinations is due to decreasing levels of good gut bacteria. This was previously discussed here: http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/sho...ght=probiotics

Conclusion
These studies demonstrate that daily consumption of this particular probiotic product increased relevant specific antibody responses to influenza vaccination in individuals of over 70 years of age and may therefore provide a health benefit in this population.

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[Sonny]

Re: Do Vaccinations Really Benefit the Elderly?

Are you saying we should let the elderly die to save money???

No! I'm saying that the governments study I mentioned says that.


You know that In the U.S. people 65 or over are not yet being vaccinated for pandemic H1N1 irregardless of high risk medical conditions?

Does the way cdc tracks flu deaths, all pediatric deaths are reportable, but geriatric deaths are not, skew the numbers? I think they might.

If the elderly do not develop immunity with the standard vaccine dose then maybe they need a booster shot also. rather then no vaccine at all.

[Sonny]

Economic considerations in prioritizing age groups for vaccinations

Research
The Economic Impact of Pandemic Influenza in the United States: Priorities for Intervention

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/eid/vol5no5/meltzer.htm

Martin I. Meltzer, Nancy J. Cox, and Keiji Fukuda
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Net Value of Vaccination

If it cost $21 to vaccinate a person and the effective coverage were 40%, net savings to society would result from vaccinating all age and risk groups (Figure 2). However, vaccinating certain age and risk groups rather than others would produce higher net returns. For example, vaccinating patients ages 20 to 64 years of age not at high risk would produce higher net returns than vaccinating patients ages 65 years of age and older who are at high risk (Figure 2). At a cost of $62 per vaccinee and gross attack rates of less than 25%, vaccinating populations at high risk would still generate positive returns (Figure 2). However, vaccinating populations not at high risk would result in a net loss (Figure 2).