Flu Vaccine- To Immunize or Not to Immunize?

It's that time of year again, where we'll start to see signs at the pharmacy, doctor's office and medical centers reminding us to get our annual flu shot. So, will you be getting a flu shot this year? To me, as an advocate for people with dementia and their family members, there are two important questions about flu shots, in addition to the question of how effective each year's immunization will be in protecting people from influenza. First question: Do flu shots affect your chances of developing dementia? Second question: If you have a loved one with Alzheimer's disease or another dementia and are asked for your consent for a flu shot for him or her, should you give your permission? There are very strong opinions on immunizations out there, and you will hear every perspective from one end to the other, and everything in between as well. So, where do you start? How do you make these decisions, especially when you're making them for someone else? In order to help provide a place to start, I spent some time researching these two questions and wrote the results here: Flu Shots and Alzheimer's Disease: Do Flu Shots Increase or Decrease the Risk of Developing Dementia? My hope is that this is helpful in your decision-making process, even if you disagree. Feel free to share your thoughts below.Flu Vaccine- To Immunize or Not to Immunize? originally appeared on About.com Alzheimers Disease on Sunday, September 29th, 2013 at 14:56:19.Permalink | Comment | Email this
Source: About Alzheimers Disease - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news