A new report from the National Institute on Ageing (NIA), A Guide to Vaccines for Older Canadians, advocates for routine vaccinations saying they are important to enable healthy ageing.
After explaining, in very basic terms, how vaccines work, the guide discusses which vaccines are important for older Canadians. The six diseases discussed in the guide include:
- COVID-19
- Influenza
- Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)
- Pneumococcal disease (pneumonia)
- Shingles
- Tetanus and diphtheria
For each vaccine, the report discusses the diseases being prevented and why Canadians should get the vaccine. It discusses which vaccines are recommended, costs (the guide indicates that private drug plans may cover the cost of those which aren’t publicly available), and where to get them, as well.
Although travel vaccines are not on the list, the guide also encourages travellers to consider getting vaccinated against additional diseases such as hepatitis and yellow fever. It additionally encourages readers to discuss the different options with their health care providers.
“One of Canada’s national vaccination coverage goals by 2025 is to ensure that at least 80 per cent of older Canadians have received both the pneumococcal vaccine and the annual flu shot,” they write. “According to the 2023 Adult National Immunization Coverage Survey, vaccination rates remain far too low among older Canadians.”
Among those survey respondents over 50 years of age, only 39 per cent were vaccinated against shingles, 55 per cent were vaccinated for pneumonia and 70 per cent had received annual flu shots.
