Abstract
The 2017-2018 influenza season reminds us that it is important for health care professionals
to be prepared for the annual onslaught of this contagious respiratory disease associated
with potentially serious complications. Vaccination is by far the best method to prevent
and control influenza, reducing illness, hospitalizations, and mortality. The highest
rates of influenza-associated morbidity and mortality are observed in older adults.
The immune function of older adults decreases with increasing age, a phenomenon termed
immunosenescence. Immunosenescence not only confers increased susceptibility to influenza
disease, but also renders vaccination less effective. To address the need for improved
vaccines that provide enhanced protection to this high-risk group, 2 formulations—a
high-dose vaccine and an adjuvanted vaccine—have been approved in recent years specifically
for people aged 65 years and over. Here we discuss: the challenges of influenza immunization
in those 65 years and older; the recent advancements in vaccines targeted at this
age group; and the latest influenza vaccine recommendations for the 2017-2018 influenza
season in the United States.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: March 12, 2018
Footnotes
Funding: The preparation and publication of this manuscript was funded by Seqirus Vaccines Ltd.
Conflicts of Interests: WS is a member of the Data Safety Monitoring Boards for Merck and Pfizer, and has received consultancy fees from Novavax, Dynavax, SutroVax, GlaxoSmithKline, Seqirus, and Sanofi Pasteur. WHC has been a consultant for GlaxoSmithKline and MedImmune. RHH and KN have no conflicts of interests to declare. The authors did not receive any form of payment from any source for writing this scientific report.
Authorship: All authors made a significant intellectual contribution to the development of this article from conception, and critically reviewed each draft of the manuscript throughout the entire development process. All authors approved the final draft of the manuscript for submission to The American Journal of Medicine.
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