We can do more to reduce flu deaths among older Canadians

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When you browse health news today, you will see many reports about dangerous infectious diseases such as COVID-19, mpox, and bird flu. But there’s another disease that’s been around for more than a century and remains an ongoing threat, especially to older people: influenza.

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Some people still think the flu isn’t that serious or that it’s just a really bad cold. In fact, it is a common cause of pneumonia, and flu and pneumonia combined are the eighth leading cause of death in Canada; People age 65 and older account for 46% of flu-related hospitalizations and 76% of flu-related deaths. .

Many of these hospitalizations and deaths could be prevented through a more concerted effort to increase vaccination rates for the most vulnerable people, through better education about the importance of getting a seasonal flu vaccine formulated for their specific needs, and by making the vaccination process as convenient and easy as possible. cost as little as possible.

A recent study I conducted through the National Institute on Aging (NIA) underscores the importance of healthcare providers providing information about vaccines, including specific types of vaccines available for older adults whose immune systems may be weakened as they age. More than 82% of older Canadian respondents said their healthcare provider’s opinion was an important part of their decision about getting the flu vaccine.

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The survey also confirms that these vital conversations can also impact older adults’ knowledge about the types of flu vaccines available, including enhanced flu vaccines (EIVs) designed specifically to provide better protection to older patients. For example, 29% of older Canadians told the NIA they did not know about flu vaccinations, especially for those aged 65 and over.

All doctors in training learn the routine childhood vaccination schedule and share this information with patients who are new parents or will become parents. However, our healthcare system does not always remind people of the essential vaccines they will need later in life.

To help raise awareness, NIA recently released “Vaccination Guide for Older Canadians.” Available in 18 languages, this book explains the importance of vaccines to ensure healthy aging and provides information on the six essential vaccines every older Canadian should receive, including the annual seasonal flu vaccine. Patients can take this useful and important resource to their doctor, pharmacist, or community health worker to discuss their personal vaccination schedule.

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Of course, this is only part of the solution. We also need to make sure that improved flu vaccines are readily available, that the costs are covered by provincial or territorial health care plans, and that patients know that they can be safely co-administered with other needed vaccines.

There is more work to be done here too. For example, NIA research found that only 58% of older Canadians who received a seasonal flu vaccine last year received it at the same time as another vaccine. Those who did not say that this was because they had not received another vaccine, did not know that they could receive other vaccines at the same time, or thought that giving more than one vaccine at the same time would reduce the effectiveness of the flu vaccine (which is not the case).

I know that my elderly patients’ top priorities are to remain independent and healthy for as long as possible. We can help them achieve these goals by increasing efforts to educate patients and providers about the importance of vaccines, encouraging healthcare providers to discuss an older person’s vaccination opportunities, and making vaccines widely available across different healthcare settings.

When we made COVID-19 vaccines available in various locations and administered them free of charge, we reached a 97% vaccination rate in the elderly. Of course, we can do the same with seasonal flu and other essential vaccines for this age group, especially for patients who do not have a family doctor.

-Dr. Samir Sinha is director of geriatrics at Sinai Health System and University Health Network in Toronto and director of health policy research at the National Institute on Aging.

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