Based in Middletown, Maryland, Robert VandenBosche serves as an adult primary care physician at Seton Medical, a part of Saint Agnes Medical Group under Ascension. Among his primary responsibilities, Robert VandenBosche helps adults, including seniors, stay healthy through preventative medicine.
One of the easiest and most widely used forms of senior preventative medicine is the flu shot, and it protects both seniors and caregivers from getting sick. Here are four reasons why seniors should get a flu shot this year.
1. Seniors' immune systems tend to be weaker due to age and, at times, chronic illness. This makes seniors one of the groups most at risk of getting the flu.
2. The flu can result in death. Studies have shown seniors age 65 and older make up 70-85 percent of the total number of people who die from the flu each season. Further, this age group is more likely to be hospitalized for the flu, making up 54-70 percent of all flu-related hospitalizations.
3. Getting the flu shot reduces the symptoms of the flu, as well as the chance of developing pneumonia, an infection that can lead to death.
4. It's free for seniors under Medicare. Alternatively, many organizations and programs provide reduced-price flu vaccines for seniors without Medicare.
