Now is the time to get your flu shot

Flu season is almost here, and doctors recommend a flu shot for all seniors.

"It's recommended that we get a flu shot each year, each season, because our immunity only lasts through that season," said Dr. Rachel Mergenmeier of Doctors Express in Creve Coeur, Mo., which also has a walk-in clinic in Cape Girardeau.

It's especially important for seniors to get the flu shot because they are more prone to complications like respiratory distress or pneumonia, she said -- and people ages 65 and up account for 90 percent of flu-related deaths each year.

"It tends to hit seniors harder -- they get sicker," Mergenmeier said.

This year a new, high-dose flu vaccine is available to seniors.

"It provides a more robust immune response for the senior population," Mergenmeier said.

"As we get older our immune system doesn't react to the shot quite as strongly as when we were younger, so the new vaccine actually creates a greater number of antibodies so you are better protected through the season."

Both the standard and high-dose vaccines protect against the same flu viruses. However, Mergenmeier does not recommend the flu mist for seniors because it contains a weakened strain of the flu virus; injectable vaccines do not.

If you do manage to get the flu, keep an eye on your symptoms and seek medical care sooner rather than later.

rgautschy@semissourian.com

388-3633