Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Getting a flu shot? It may be better to wait

Getting a flu shot? It may be better to wait - CNN.com:
"An early flu shot is better than no flu shot at all. But the science is mixed when it comes to how long a flu shot promoted and given during the waning days of summer will provide optimal protection, especially because flu season generally peaks in mid-winter or beyond.
Experts are divided on how patients should respond to such offers.
"If you're over 65, don't get the flu vaccine in September. 
Or August. It's a marketing scheme," said Laura Haynes, an immunologist at the University of Connecticut Center on Aging.
That's because a combination of factors makes it more difficult for the immune systems of people older than age 65 to respond to the vaccination in the first place. 
And its protective effects may wear off faster for this age group than it does for young people.
When is the best time to vaccinate?
It's a question even doctors have..."
Read on!

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