This Year’s Flu is Especially Strong, but so is the Flu Vaccine

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the 2019-2020 flu season has not only begun, but is at elevated levels throughout the country. The CDC estimates that 2.6 million People have already contracted the flu in the US, with 23,000 of them requiring hospitalization, and 1,300 dying from the flu. Typically, over the course of the flu season, millions of people get the flu, hundreds of thousands will be hospitalized, and tens of thousands will die.

Sound grim? There is some good news: although the best time to get the flu vaccine is in October, getting vaccinated now will still help you avoid the flu. The CDC recommends vaccination for everyone over the age of six months, and it is especially important for seniors, who are more likely than adults under 65 to experience complications from the flu. So great is this danger than people over age 50 have priority for vaccination if there is ever a flu vaccine shortage.

There are several types of vaccine available this year, with two — high-dose flu shots and

flu shots formulated with adjuvant — made especially for people 65 years and older.

Some people should not receive a flu shot, the CDC advises. You should speak with your healthcare provider if you have ever had an allergic reaction to the flu vaccine, have ever had Guillain-Barre Syndrome, are immunocompromised.

While an allergy to eggs is commonly mistaken to be a contraindication to the flu vaccine, the facts are far more complex. Your healthcare provider can guide you to a safe vaccine based on your history of allergy.

Needless to say, anyone who is not allowed to receive a flu shot should make sure that everyone around them receives one.

While it’s possible to come down with the flu if you have been vaccinated, you will be less sick than if you had not been vaccinated. Moreover, this year’s flu vaccines have been found to be particularly effective against the strains of flu that are currently circulating.

At Atlantic Coast Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center, in Lakewood, NJ, we guard our residents against the flu by ensuring everyone — both staff and residents— has proper protection. It’s part of our commitment to health and happiness in our facility.

We take a restorative approach to senior health, maximizing function and mobility in a positive and upbeat atmosphere.

Our beautiful nursing home and rehab center is situated on beautifully landscaped grounds, and provides the comfortable and pleasant living experience that is essential to ensuring optimal clinical outcomes. We have strived to create an environment and program that truly enhances quality of life, thus promoting recuperation, health, and well-being.

Our modern facility features spacious living spaces that are impeccably decorated and furnished. Our residents are pampered with the finest amenities, including free WIFI, flat screen cable television and state-of-the-art mechanical beds for individualized comfort.

At Atlantic Coast, our goal is to offer activities that stimulate both mind and body. We fashion each day’s recreation schedule with the primary purpose of encouraging social interaction and promoting physical health and fitness. To accommodate different interests and personal preferences, our Activities Director designs flexible schedules, with a variety of stimulating and engaging activity options.

Atlantic Coast’s long-term care program emphasizes a restorative approach, encouraging each patient’s potential to maximize function and mobility.

We are conveniently located close to major medical centers and are just minutes from area highways.

Read our reviews on senioradvisor.com, caring.com, and wellness.com to hear what our residents and their families have to say.

Or better yet, come see for yourself: Contact us to schedule a tour by calling 732-364-7100, or by clicking here.