I'm over 65 and worried about the flu. Which vaccine should I have?

• It can cause the sudden onset of a fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat, headache, muscle and joint pain.
• In Australia, the flu is responsible for more than 5,000 hospitalisation and 100 deaths a year.
• To combat the decline in immunity as we age, specific vaccines are available for people aged 65 and over.

Remind me, how does the immune system work?

• The immune system uses multiple mechanisms to fight viral infections, which can be divided into two major arms of the immune system, called innate and adaptive immunity.
• Innate immunity involves multiple inflammatory cells and chemicals that are triggered immediately, or within hours of encountering an infection.

Why are older people more at risk from the flu?

• This immune system decline is called immunosenescence, which leads to increased susceptibility, hospitalisation and death from influenza.
• Certain medical conditions, such as cancer and heart and lung conditions, increase susceptibility to severe influenza, with older people being more likely to have additional medical conditions than younger people.

What flu vaccines are available?

• Annual flu vaccines are recommended to protect against the common circulating strains of influenza, which can differ from year to year.
• The standard flu vaccines offered to adults aged under 65 consist of surface proteins of the virus or inactivated (killed) virus from four influenza strains: two A strains (H1N1 and H3N2) and two B strains.
• Read more:
  Why can you still get influenza if you've had a flu shot?

How do they compare?

• In the few studies comparing Fluad and Fluzone directly, there is little evidence of a difference between them in reducing influenza and serious flu outcomes.
• Fluzone is only available with a private prescription if you’re 60 years and over, at a cost of around A$65-70.
• If neither augmented vaccine is available, a standard influenza vaccine is also acceptable for older people, since any influenza vaccine is preferable to receiving none.

How else can we protect against the flu?

• Wearing a mask or N95 respirator significantly reduces the risk of infecting others when infected.
• The evidence for protecting oneself against infection is less conclusive, mainly because it’s linked to early, consistent and, importantly, the correct use of masks.
• Read more:
  Over half of eligible aged care residents are yet to receive their COVID booster.