Vaccination in the elderly population

Abstract

It is known that the immune systems tend to weaken over time, putting elderly patients at higher risk for chronic diseases such as cardiovascular (CV) diseases, diabetes, chronic renal disorders and their complication as well as infectious disease leading to an increased mortality and morbidity rates in patients over 65 years old. Vaccination, a prophylactic treatment strategy, means that immunogenic materials from pathogens (or tumours) are administered to generate an adequate immune response specifically to these antigens. Vaccine-preventable diseases which can affect the elderly population are influenza, pneumococcal disease, tetanus, hepatitis B and zona zoster. It is recommended that all adults over 65 years old, and for adults younger than 65 years who have certain chronic health conditions receive seasonal influenza vaccination annually, pneumococcal vaccines and zoster vaccine. Also tetanus vaccine administration is recommended every 10 years in adults.