Elderly Parent Care: Flu Shot Side Effects?
It is advisable for all of us to get a flu shot every year, but these shots are especially recommended for seniors. Most young and middle-aged people are able to withstand and fully recover from a flu strain but unfortunately the same doesn’t go for most people over 65 years of age. Some may die from a simple strain that could have been cured with a vaccine, and many develop complications such as pneumonia which may result in death. Many people who are charged with elderly parent care would like to get them vaccinated every year, but they wonder whether they should worry about flu shot side effects.
In this day and age in elderly senior care, anything can happen.
The Side Effects Will Soon Fade Away
The truth, when it comes to flu shot side effects is that they do exist, and while they may cause some level of discomfort, they are nothing compared to what an elderly person suffers when they contract the flu. These side effects are much like the side effects that babies experience every time they get a vaccination — your elderly parent may experience a higher than normal temperature, the area may feel sore, they may feel a few aches and pains and they may generally be out of sorts for a day or two. The important thing to know, for both you and your loved one, is that these side effects will soon go away and your loved one will be protected against flu for the coming year.
There Are Different Strains of the Flu
There have been some media reports that some of the flu vaccines that are being recommended for the elderly are ineffective and do not protect them against the illness. This is not true, and here is what you need to understand: there are different strains of flu, and most of the vaccines that come recommended are able to take care of most of them. However, once in a while, an elderly person will contract a strain of flu that cannot be taken care of by the vaccination, and that is when complications arise.
Take Your Parent to an Experienced Doctor
To deny your loved one flu shots on the assumption that they don’t work is to put them in an incredibly dangerous position — it leaves them open to all sorts of flu, even the ones that can be easily prevented. Keep in mind that the purpose of the vaccine is to help their bodies produce antibodies to keep away illness. Make sure that you take your loved one to a doctor who is familiar and experienced with flu vaccines for the elderly – they will give you advice on how to tackle the side effects.
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