Older veterans at increased risk for RSV, flu and COVID. How to take care of yourself

There’s no getting around it. I’m an old man. Combine that with being a Vietnam combat veteran, and some would say I’m carrying around some baggage.

One thing I will not do is add to that burden by doing (or not doing) something that could seriously compromise my health.

To that end, I have been inoculated against the shingles virus and the latest strains of pneumonia – thanks to the VA. I am also fully vaccinated against COVID-19. I get a flu shot every year as well.

Truth be told, I have a number of good friends, including some veterans, who do not believe in vaccines. I don’t argue with them about it, and I would never pressure them to do something they do not believe in.

But I can share some information, and if even one person who reads this column gets vaccinated as a result, I will feel that I have accomplished something.

This year we have three vaccines to consider: one to counteract the respiratory virus known as RSV; an updated COVID-19 vaccine designed to lessen the effects of the mutated virus; and the annual flu shot.

On Sept. 1, The New York Times published a very useful article summarizing the three. It was written in terms that any layperson can understand and outlines the benefits of getting these shots.

Older veterans are at increased risk

An overwhelming amount of evidence clearly shows that the elderly are at increased risk of hospitalization or even death from all three viruses. Since many in our veteran family are senior citizens (or approaching that status), it behooves us all to pay attention to the risks.

While vaccination does not prevent one from getting the disease, it will usually minimize the severity of the symptoms. Vaccines also lessen your chances of being hospitalized, as pointed out by Dr. Peter Hotez, a vaccine specialist.

“Overwhelmingly, those who are being hospitalized are unvaccinated or undervaccinated,” he told The New York Times.

In its science section last week, National Geographic published an essay by Dr. Sanjay Mishra, a research associate of medicine at Brown University.

“While vaccines and boosters may not block new or reinfections, they provide a strong protection against serious complications or hospitalization,” he stated.

What is RSV?

RSV stands for respiratory syncytial virus. Emily Martin, an epidemiologist at the University of Michigan, told The Times, “It is a common winter virus that usually causes mild cold-like illness but can be dangerous for young children and older adults, as infants and older adults are more likely to develop severe RSV and need hospitalization.”

Most medical professionals suggest that if you are 60 or older, you should get an RSV vaccine as soon as it is available (after making sure it’s OK with your doctor, of course). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this especially applies to those with an immune system weakened by illness or medications, or those who live in a nursing home. If any of those apply, you might be at higher risk of severe RSV disease, and an RSV vaccine could help prevent serious illness.

John Loughlin of the Providence VA Medical Center tells me their vaccine center has the latest RSV vaccine. “Any veteran can walk in anytime to have their needs reviewed and addressed,” said Loughlin.

According to Dr. Ashish Jha, the former White House COVID adviser and current dean of Brown University’s School of Public Health, RSV tends to circulate somewhat earlier than the flu. He told the Times, if you’re 60 or over, “you don’t want to get into November without having an R.S.V. vaccine.”

Why get the updated COVID-19 vaccine?

The CDC issued guidelines recommending the vaccine for everyone six months and older “ahead of an expected busy flu and COVID-19 season this fall.” The updated vaccine is tailored to better protect against a mutation. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the new COVID-19 shots from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna on Sept. 11.

“All adults should consider getting a booster shot. Many Americans have now gone more than a year without one, and immunity has waned,” warned medical experts in The New York Times.

The Providence VA expects to have the new COVID boosters available in late September.

The VA also offers free COVID-19 testing to those enrolled in VA health care. Learn more at va.gov/resources/covid-19-testing-at-va.

Annual flu shot is a lifesaver

Worldwide, some 400,000 people die each year from the flu. The CDC estimates that about 35,000 Americans died of the flu between 2010 and 2019. (That is a conservative number, with the real mortality figure probably higher.)

Jha told The New York Times that the flu also weakens the body in ways that make heart attacks and strokes more common, especially among the elderly. “We underestimate the impact that respiratory viruses have on our population,” he said. “The flu can knock people out for weeks, even younger people.”

The sad part of this story, according to most medical experts, is that not all of those people had to die. In the last few years, less than half of the U.S. population received flu immunization. If more people got a flu shot, The Times concluded, fewer people would have died.

The VA also has the latest flu vaccines on hand and is ready to administer them to eligible veterans at the main VA hospital in Providence, as well as the Community Based Outpatient Clinics in Middletown, New Bedford and Hyannis

Announcements

Next PACT Act enrollment deadline is Sept. 30

Veterans who deployed to a combat zone, never enrolled in VA health care and left the military between Sept. 11, 2001, and Oct. 1, 2013, are eligible to enroll directly in VA health care through the PACT Act. This special enrollment period ends at 11:59 p.m. local time on Sept. 30. Apply at va.gov/health-care/apply/application/introduction.

Recent events

URI student veteran Tracy Santos receives national award

In May, we reported that Tracy Santos, former Marine and current R.I. National Guard soldier, had been awarded the URI Student Excellence Award. In January, she was one of 10 nominees to be selected as a finalist for Student Veteran of the Year by the Student Veterans of America.

Recently, GI Jobs Magazine recognized Santos as one of 32 future leaders nationwide selected for a Student Veteran Leadership Award. Santos is a Bronx native who will graduate in 2024 with a degree in clinical neuroscience. She is also president of the Student Veteran Organization at URI, where she has helped many veterans make the complicated – and sometimes isolating – transition to life as a college student.  As president, her goals were to create a supportive community, bring people together and help bridge the gap between traditional students and the veteran group.

Tracy commented, “As I reflect on my transition [from military to civilian life], I often think of the confusion and loneliness I experienced.” She wanted to make the path easier for those who followed in her footsteps.

“There has been nothing more rewarding than watching veterans not only successfully transition but thrive in their new experience,” she said.

Bob Flynn, director of URI’s Military and Veteran Education Center, said, “As president of the SVO, Tracy coordinated with multiple student organizations across campus and has been a tireless advocate and community builder for military-connected students as well as the entirety of the URI enterprise.”

Santos intends to devote her civilian career to veterans’ mental health.

Calendar

Thursday, Sept. 21, 6 p.m.: Vietnam Veterans of America James Michael Ray Chapter 818 Dinner, followed by PACT Act Town Hall Meeting at 7 p.m., Lincoln Senior Center, 150 Jenckes Hill Road, Lincoln. Presenters will be VA Healthcare staff as well as representatives to discuss VA benefits. For details, email Father Philip Salois at xuanloc@aol.com

Friday, Sept. 29, 6:30-10:30 p.m.: Military Police Regimental Association of RI Annual Awards Dinner, Quonset O Club, 200 Lt. James Brown Road, North Kingstown. This is the 20th anniversary of the deaths of Staff Sgt. Joseph Camara, Sgt. Charles Todd Caldwell and Spc. Michael Andrade while they were conducting combat operations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Tickets are $55 each and are available only at tinyurl.com/bdf9za62. For details, call Sean Fitzpatrick at (203) 907-8985 or email rhodeislandmpra@gmail.com.

Sunday, Oct. 1, 9 a.m. registration; 10:30 a.m. kickstands up: Memorial Bike Run along the Newport coastline, honoring Staff Sgt. Christopher Potts and Sgt. Russell Collier. Meet at 470 Metacom Ave., Bristol. Fee: $25 per rider, $20 per passenger; no refunds/no rain date. Food, drinks, entertainment, raffles and silent auction to follow at VFW Post 237, 850 Hope St. in Bristol. Sponsored by Redlegs Motorcycle Association; organizers reserve the right to refuse participation. For details, email Mark Bourgery at riredlegs@gmail.com.

To report the outcome of a previous activity, or to add a future event to our calendar, please email the details (including a contact name and phone number/email address) to veteranscolumn@providencejournal.com.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Older veterans encouraged to get vaccinated: Influenza, COVID, RSV