Vaccination is a vital component of routine preventive health. But vaccines are not just for kids! It’s important to know that older adults, who are highly susceptible to diseases and associated complications, can also benefit greatly from them. Dr Falguni Parikh, consultant - internal medicine, Adult Immunisation Clinic, Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, answers some frequently asked questions about adult immunisation.
Why do we need vaccination for silvers?
Older adults and people with weakened immune systems (like those undergoing cancer treatment) are especially vulnerable to infectious diseases. Vaccines greatly reduce the risk of infection by working with the body’s natural defences to safely develop immunity to disease. The diseases that vaccines prevent can be dangerous, even deadly.
Which diseases can be prevented with vaccines in older adults?
These include influenza (flu); shingles (herpes zoster); pneumococcal disease (pneumonia); diphtheria; tetanus; and pertussis (whooping cough).
How do vaccines work?
Vaccines help develop immunity by imitating an infection. This type of infection, however, does not cause illness but causes the immune system to produce specific white blood cells and antibodies to fight the infection. It typically takes a few weeks for the body to produce these after vaccination. Therefore, it is possible that a person who was infected with a disease just before or just after vaccination could develop symptoms and get a disease, because the vaccine has not had enough time to provide protection.
Why is the flu vaccine recommended for silvers?
Denne historien er fra November 2016-utgaven av Harmony - Celebrate Age.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Denne historien er fra November 2016-utgaven av Harmony - Celebrate Age.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Wrapped In Love
My Dadi Meenakshi Banerji was a short and tubby woman with great gumption who raised 10 citizens of the world.
Sharing Her ‘Mettle'
To me, this bell metal vaarpu, which weighs about 80 kg and is at least 120 years old, is an enduring reminder of my paternal grandmother Aleyamma Abraham.
Medical Overload
Your doctor may walk the talk while writing out your prescriptions but here’s the thing: make sure he hasn’t prescribed one too many.
An Act Of Faith
One act of kindness can save someone’s life.’
Armed For Business
The sheer glory and glamour of the Olive Greens motivated me, a third-generation soldier, to join the Army. Thus I enlisted, brimming with enthusiasm, in 1984.
Capture the fracture
Fracture owing to osteoporosis can have a serious impact on a person’s health and quality of life. Dr Abhijit Y Pawar, consultant orthopaedic spine surgeon at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, speaks about the significance of timely intervention in preventing fractures
Friends With Benefits!
Incontinence need not interfere with life.
Yellow, Yellow, Gritty Fellows!
It was a nippy Sunday morning but nothing that would keep the rugged Delhiite away from the annual Senior Citizens’ Run supported by Harmony at the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon. Not even the mood-dampening smog that had descended on the capital a week earlier could do that! So said 74 year-old Sarla Rani and her band of regulars at the run who arrived at Nehru Stadium on the morning of 19 November even before the sun did. Soon they were joined by busloads of silvers from all over Delhi, Noida and Gurugram.
Magic By The Sea
From Lord Jagannath to oceanside beauty and green initiatives, Braja Sorensen uncovers the many layers of Puri.
Indian Rhapsody
In a span of two decades, Roshen Dalal has attained renown for her painstakingly researched books on history and religions in India. The Puffin History of India and The Puffin History of the World, each in two volumes, have not just received critical acclaim but are bestsellers as well. Her other books include The Religions of India: A Concise Guide to Nine Major Faiths; Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide; The Vedas: An Introduction to Hinduism’s Sacred Texts and The Compact Timeline History of the World.