Vaccinations in the elderly

Abstract

Aging of the immune system (immunosenescence) starts already at 50 years of age, which is connected with a reduced activity of the humoral and cellular features of the immune system. This results in a higher disposition to infections and frequently to a more complicated course of the disease in elderly people. Any person of 60 years and older should have vaccinations against influenza virus, pneumococcus, tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis and herpes zoster virus, which could be given in four different vaccine preparations. The components, efficacy, times of application, tolerance and immunological aspects of the four vaccines are explained and discussed in this paper. Successfull vaccinations in the elderly are an effective approach to reduce infections and antibiotic usage at a time of increasing bacterial and viral resistance.