There is much more to this study, of course. Mainly, it brings up a lot of interesting questions without any concrete answers. What do caregivers and elders decide now?
I'll tell you this. After seeing a whole nursing home fighting influenza, and after witnessing the nearly heroic efforts made to keep it from spreading, I say bring on the vaccine. It may or may not save elder's lives, but if it saves just a few from the misery my mother went through when she had the virus that year, it's worth it. No, the flu didn't kill her. But there were times during the illness when she wished it would.
Until much more is known, I believe the medical community will be issuing flu vaccines to elders - at least elders in group settings like nursing homes and assisted living - just to keep it from settling in and spreading from room to room. I'm not sure if they are saving lives here, but they may be preventing a lot of misery.
To learn more about Carol, please go to www.mindingourelders.com or www.mindingoureldersblogs.com.
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