Health
Anyone over 50 should be getting these 5 vaccines, doctors say
Heading into the thick of flu and COVID season, there have been some recent changes to vaccine recommendations for people over age 50.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently lowered the age for pneumonia vaccinations by 15 years.
Instead of recommending the pneumococcal vaccine for those 65 and over, the shot is now suggested starting at age 50.
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“Everyone over 50 should be thinking about vaccines, because as we age, our immune system can become more vulnerable,” Dr. Susannah Hills, surgeon and assistant professor at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City, told Fox News Digital.
When choosing which vaccinations to get, it is also important to consider personal risk, she said.
The CDC recently lowered the age for pneumonia vaccinations by 15 years, from 65 to 50. (iStock)
“Are there underlying health conditions like diabetes, immunodeficiency or cancer? If so, getting vaccinated becomes even more important.”
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To help people 50 and older keep track of immunization guidance for their age group, Fox News Digital gathered insights from several infectious disease experts.
1. Flu vaccine
The CDC recommends that everyone 6 months and older gets a flu vaccine every year, including those 50 and up.
Dr. Jennifer Dunphy, a public health doctor in Los Angeles, California, noted that the flu vaccine is known to significantly reduce deaths and hospitalizations (from 40% to 52%) in the 50 and older population.
“Everyone over 50 should be thinking about vaccines … As we age, our immune system can become more vulnerable.”
“It is recommended to get the vaccine at the end of summer, preferably in September, before the weather changes and viruses become more common,” she told Fox News Digital.
Common side effects include body aches and low-grade fever, the doctor noted.
The flu vaccine is known to significantly reduce deaths and hospitalizations (from 40% to 52%) in the 50 and older population, a doctor noted. (iStock)
“In some cases, there are very rare but more serious side effects that may impact the nervous system,” Dunphy said.
“The benefits of the vaccine for most people over 50 will outweigh any risks, but it is recommended to talk to your doctor.”
2. COVID-19 vaccine
The CDC recommends that everyone 6 months and older is vaccinated against COVID-19 and receives an updated vaccine each year, typically in the fall before the end of October.
The agency also advises people 65 and older to receive a second dose of the vaccine.
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“Together with flu and RSV, COVID is part of a triad of respiratory viruses that cause high rates of hospitalization and death in older adults, with increased risk seen with advancing age,” Dr. Amy Edwards, an infectious disease expert at UH Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio, told Fox News Digital.
For the COVID-19 vaccine, it is recommended that people get two full doses spaced at least three weeks apart followed by annual boosters, a doctor said. (iStock)
For the COVID-19 vaccine, it is recommended that people get two full doses spaced at least three weeks apart followed by annual boosters, according to Dunphy.
The boosters are tailored to be effective against the most current strain of the virus, she said.
“The COVID vaccine works to increase the development of antibodies that fight against exposure turning into infection, and infection from transitioning into serious infection,” she said.
“Side effects vary, but are mostly limited to mild, flu-like symptoms.”
Some serious adverse effects have been linked to COVID vaccines, including anaphylactic shock, myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) or pericarditis (inflammation of the lining surrounding the heart), according to the CDC.
3. Pneumococcal vaccine
The pneumococcus (pneumonia) vaccine is recommended for children younger than 5 years and adults 50 years or older.
This is an update to previous guidance, which called for vaccines in adults 65 and older.
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This one-time vaccine is designed to protect against bacterial infections that can cause pneumonia, sepsis and meningitis.
The agency recommends giving one of three available vaccines — PCV15, PCV20 or PCV21 — to all adults 50 years or older who have never received a pneumococcal conjugate vaccine or who are uncertain of their vaccination history.
“The rate of hospitalizations and death from pneumonia goes up at age 50 and then again by a lot at age 65 years old,” Edwards told Fox News Digital.
“The rate of hospitalizations and death from pneumonia goes up at age 50 and then again by a lot at age 65 years old,” a doctor told Fox News Digital. (iStock)
“Typically, adults are advised to get a single dose, but some higher-risk adults may get a dose every five years.”
Side effects are generally minimal from this vaccine, she noted.
Fever, chills, fatigue, headache, muscle aches, joint pain, or redness, swelling, pain or tenderness at the injection site are some possible side effects, according to the CDC.
4. Tdap vaccine
The Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis) vaccine helps to protect against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis.
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Pertussis, more commonly known as whooping cough, has seen a spike in the U.S. in 2024, with more than five times the cases reported at the same time last year.
“All adults should get the tetanus vaccine every 10 years, as that is the longest protection lasts,” Edwards advised.
Most doctors agree that it’s OK to get the COVID and flu vaccines at the same time. (iStock)
“Vaccination against whooping cough is sometimes recommended for some older adults, especially those who will spend time with very young children (grandchildren), as infants are at very high risk for death from whooping cough.”
The most common side effects after a Tdap vaccination include mild fever, headache, fatigue, vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, and pain, swelling or redness at the injection site, the CDC stated.
Adults should discuss with their doctors about whether this vaccine is necessary.
5. Shingles vaccine
It is recommended that adults 50 and older receive two doses of Shingrix, the shingles vaccine, two to six months apart, per the CDC.
The vaccine protects against a condition called herpes zoster, more commonly known as shingles.
The infection causes a painful rash caused by the varicella-zoster virus, which can cause nerve damage, chronic nerve pain and sometimes inflammation of the brain, according to Edwards.
“Shingles becomes more common with each decade past 50,” she said.
It is recommended that adults 50 and older receive two doses of Shingrix, the shingles vaccine, two to six months apart, per the CDC. (iStock)
“This vaccine tends to be kind of rough, with high rates of fever and body aches,” Edwards cautioned.
“Many people who have had both say the shingles vaccine is as bad or worse than the mRNA COVID vaccines as far as making you feel bad for a day or two afterward.”
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The shingles vaccine is currently administered as a one-time, lifetime dose with no boosters recommended later in life for those vaccinated at around age 50, Edwards noted.
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Experts agree it’s best for each person to discuss a vaccine plan with his or her primary care physician.
Hills added, “Some people may be at higher risk and may need to get these vaccines earlier or may need other vaccines as well.”
Health
Katie Couric couldn’t remember the year or the president during frightening brain episode
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Journalist Katie Couric is sharing a scary medical episode that she experienced on June 27.
In a post on Substack titled “The Day I’ll Never Remember,” she detailed a sudden episode that left her unable to recall the current month, year and president.
“I thought it was 2024. And I believed Joe Biden was president,” she wrote.
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The event occurred while Couric was attending the Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado, during which she participated in two public panels — one on AI and one on journalism — both of which she cannot remember at all.
“I have no idea what we talked about, or of what occurred when the panels ended,” she said.
Journalist Katie Couric is sharing a scary medical episode that she experienced on June 27. (Getty Images)
John Molner — Couric’s husband, who was in attendance at the festival and the two panels — also shared his account.
After the event, someone told Molner that Katie wasn’t feeling well. When he reached her, an EMT and a doctor were tending to her. “I could tell something was off,” he wrote. “It could have been altitude sickness, but Katie was definitely not all there.”
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At the hospital, when Couric struggled to recall the year, the president and her grandchildren’s names, doctors began checking for a stroke.
An MRI revealed no signs of stroke, which was a relief, but “Katie’s ‘fog’ became a lot more apparent,” Molner wrote.
John Molner, Couric’s husband, who was in attendance at the festival and the two panels, also shared his account. (Getty Images)
“She repeatedly asked me the same questions: ‘What was I doing before we got to the hospital?’ ‘Why am I at the hospital?’”
Couric was ultimately diagnosed with transient global amnesia, a sudden, temporary episode of memory loss that prevents a person from forming new memories and may also erase some recent memories, according to Mayo Clinic.
“The cause seems to be as mysterious as the brain itself.”
It is not caused by a stroke, seizure or head injury, and it usually resolves completely within 24 hours.
“[It’s] just a very weird neural episode that’s pretty uncommon and, at least in most cases, is a ‘one and done’ experience,” Molner said.
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Couric said she finally began feeling “like herself” again around 9 p.m. and went to sleep at 2 a.m.
As TGA leaves a “permanent gap in memory” for the duration of the episode and for hours beforehand, Couric said that from around noon on that day until at least 7 p.m. will remain a “big, black hole.”
As TGA leaves a “permanent gap in memory” for the duration of the episode and for hours beforehand, Couric said that from around noon on that day until at least 7 p.m. will remain a “big, black hole.” (Getty Images)
Data shows that approximately three to eight people per 100,000 will have an episode of transient global amnesia, with people 50 years of age and older at higher risk.
The specific cause of TGA is not known, but some experts believe it stems from a “temporary dysfunction in the brain’s hippocampus — the area responsible for creating new memories,” Couric shared.
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“Doctors believe this is driven by brief interruptions in blood or oxygen flow, or microscopic spasm in the blood vessels.”
Episodes could potentially be triggered by intense physical exertion, emotional distress, extreme temperature changes or migraines, experts say.
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Approximately 15% of patients will have a recurrence 10 years later.
“Why did this happen to me? Was the altitude an issue? Was I dehydrated? Tired? Stressed? The literature doesn’t seem to indicate that these are contributing factors, but the cause seems to be as mysterious as the brain itself,” Couric wrote.
Anyone who experiences sudden memory loss, confusion, difficulty speaking, weakness, numbness, vision changes, severe headache or other stroke-like symptoms should seek immediate medical attention or call 911, doctors advise. (iStock)
“All I know is that those hours will be forever lost. Someone described it as my brain failing to hit the ‘record button.’”
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“While this was a freaky occurrence, it could have been much more serious. So ultimately, I’m relieved — even though several hours of a Saturday in June will always be missing for me.”
Anyone who experiences sudden memory loss, confusion, difficulty speaking, weakness, numbness, vision changes, severe headache or other stroke-like symptoms should seek immediate medical attention or call 911, doctors advise.
Health
One walking habit could signal a healthier brain after 80, scientists say
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Older adults identified as “super movers” are about half as likely to develop cognitive impairment than their peers.
That’s according to a recent study led by Stony Brook Medicine in New York, which evaluated the cognitive function of 4,000 adults 80 and over who participated in multiple aging and longevity studies over several years.
Among this group, 6% to 10% were classified as super movers, which means they walk at a much faster pace than others of the same age and gender — at speeds comparable to people three decades younger.
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The super movers were found to have about half the risk of cognitive decline compared to seniors with typical gait speed.
The findings were published in the journal Neurology on June 16.
Older adults identified as “super movers” are about half as likely to develop cognitive impairment than their peers. (iStock)
“The study reinforces that mobility and brain health are closely connected,” lead study author Dr. Joe Verghese, MD, neurologist at Stony Brook Medicine, told Fox News Digital. “This suggests that preserving mobility may be an important marker of healthy brain aging and resilience.”
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The most intriguing finding, according to Verghese, was that super movers maintained cognitive function despite having similar dementia-related brain changes as their peers.
In postmortem brain analysis, there was no difference in dementia-related pathologies between the super movers and the slower walkers, the study stated.
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“This suggests they may possess resilience mechanisms that help preserve brain function even in the presence of age-related changes,” he said. “Understanding these resilience factors could lead to new strategies for promoting healthy brain aging.”
As the study was observational, there were some limitations, and it does not prove that walking faster prevents dementia, the researchers noted.
Super movers were found to have about half the risk of cognitive decline compared to seniors with typical gait speed. (iStock)
“Other factors, such as cardiovascular health, physical fitness or genetics, may also contribute to both faster walking and better cognitive outcomes,” Verghese said.
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This study adds to growing evidence that what’s good for the heart and muscles also benefits the brain, he noted, adding that “staying physically active remains one of the most effective, evidence-based ways to support healthy aging.”
“Walking speed is best viewed as a marker of overall health, not a treatment.”
“The broader message is that physical activity is important at any age,” Verghese said. “Walking is an easy step-up point because you don’t need any special equipment. You can do it inside or outdoors, and you can do it on a regular basis. You can walk with a dog, you can walk with a friend.”
Any activity is beneficial if it’s done regularly and with the right intensity, he added.
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Rather than just trying to walk faster, the neurologist recommends that seniors focus on maintaining mobility through regular physical activity, strength training, balance exercises and good cardiovascular health.
“Walking speed is best viewed as a marker of overall health, not a treatment,” Verghese noted.
Major public health guidelines from the CDC and U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, such as brisk walking.
Major public health guidelines from the CDC and U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, such as brisk walking. (iStock)
This can be achieved by walking 30 minutes a day, five days a week, or about 20 to 25 minutes most days. Another option is to engage in shorter sessions that add up over the day.
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“You have to do it within your health limitations and medical conditions,” Verghese advised. “So if there are any medical concerns, I would get your physician to clear you before starting exercise.” The good thing about walking, he added, is that you can start at a slow pace and then gradually build up to a brisker pace.
“And then adding on strength and balance training, whatever age you are, I think is also important.”
Health
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