Senior citizens to get flu vaccines before the dreaded flu season starts
September 9th, 2010 - 12:02 am ICT by Aishwarya BhattBurlington, Sep 8 (THAINDIAN NEWS) Older residents of Burlington County in the United States may have a chance to get a high dose Flu vaccine before the Flu season hits, according to the Burlington County Health Department.
Flu shot centers will be opened throughout the county between the period of September 20 and October 7. The clinics will be opened from 10 am to 6 pm on each of the approved dates.
The Flu vaccine - Fluzone High-Dose Vaccine will be available to Medicare Part B insurance members for free while those without the Medicare Part B insurance will be required to pay $40 to have the shot.
The vaccine is made up of three flu strains that are likely to strike during a particular flu season. The vaccine also contains four times the amount of antigens that are contained in the previous flu vaccines. The antigens simulate the body to produce antibodies that fights the bacteria that causes flu.
The human immune system’s ability to fight illness is known to decrease with age. As a result, getting protection for older people in such periods like the flu season is crucial. But over the years, the problem had been that the body of older people has slow response to flu vaccines thus making the vaccines not suitable for older citizens.
However now the new vaccine has been approved for use by the older people.
- H1N1 pandemic flu strain 'key to universal vaccine' - Jan 11, 2011
- New cell type boosts immunity to infection - Nov 30, 2011
- 'No mutation of swine flu virus' - Apr 11, 2012
- Vaccines to boost immunity where it counts - Jan 23, 2012
- Britain gives last year's vaccines to flu hit people - Jan 07, 2011
- Russia tests HIV vaccine - Feb 06, 2012
- One-time jab to protect against all flu strains - Nov 16, 2010
- Cuba to give flu shots to over 600,000 people - Nov 20, 2011
- Edible vaccine for malaria on way - Dec 31, 2010
- Friendly bacteria help fend off flu: Study - Mar 15, 2011
- Universal flu vaccine shows promise - Jun 08, 2011
- People with severe asthma need higher dose of H1N1 vaccine: Study - Dec 14, 2010
- Scientists 1 step closer to developing treatment for chikungunya - Feb 16, 2011
- Swine flu spread much wider than suspected - Jun 09, 2011
- Once-in-a-lifetime flu jab that fights off all strains to be available 'within 5yrs' - Nov 16, 2010
Tags: antibodies, antigens, bacteria, burlington county, county health department, flu, flu season, flu shot, flu strains, flu vaccine, flu vaccines, fluzone, human immune system, insurance, insurance members, medicare, medicare part b, periods, senior citizens, slow response