The beginning of winter is popularly known as the flu season, with many people feeling under the weather.
Also Read | Doctor lists five vegetables that are good for heart health: Rich in fibre, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants“It is common for older adults to assume that they do not need a flu vaccine if they rarely fall ill.
This is one reason influenza can be more serious in older adults, even those who have no known medical conditions,” he shared.
According to Dr Chattopadhyay, a person does not need to have diabetes, asthma or heart disease to be at risk of influenza complications.
The protection offered by a flu vaccine may be lower in older adults than in younger people, but the physician insisted that vaccination remains an important way to reduce the risk of severe illness.
The beginning of winter is popularly known as the flu season, with many people feeling under the weather. Yet for those adults who rarely fall ill, getting vaccinated is usually of little concern.
Also Read | Doctor lists five vegetables that are good for heart health: Rich in fibre, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants
“It is common for older adults to assume that they do not need a flu vaccine if they rarely fall ill. Some may feel that a healthy diet, regular walks and an otherwise active lifestyle are enough to protect them,” Dr Anirban Chattopadhyay, senior consultant and critical care specialist at CK Birla Hospitals, CMRI, Kolkata, told HT Lifestyle.
“These habits certainly support good health, but they do not offer specific protection against influenza. As people age, the immune system changes, making it harder for the body to fight certain infections. This is one reason influenza can be more serious in older adults, even those who have no known medical conditions,” he shared.
The physician pointed out that influenza is often confused with the common cold, but the two are not the same. Flu can cause fever, body aches, headache, cough and marked fatigue. In older people, it can also lead to complications such as pneumonia, worsening of existing heart or lung conditions, hospitalisation and, in severe cases, death.
Does being healthy mean one can skip the vaccine? According to Dr Chattopadhyay, a person does not need to have diabetes, asthma or heart disease to be at risk of influenza complications. Age itself is an important risk factor.
“With age, the immune system may not respond as well to infections as it did in the younger days. This process is known as immunosenescence, and it also affects the response to vaccination,” he noted.
The protection offered by a flu vaccine may be lower in older adults than in younger people, but the physician insisted that vaccination remains an important way to reduce the risk of severe illness.
