Thanks for the reminder, Elmer. The other day I was looking through my mom’s chart and found this:

How does this make sense? Need to to send a note to her doctor.

That's curious, there's a lot of seemingly bad advice there.

Does your mother have immune compromising illnesses or meds that do that? Otherwise, it makes no sense.

You're supposed to get the flu shot annually. Each year's version is not out in June, more like September or October. That note says "delay until June 2026". Huh?

Shingrix is two doses, the second one 2-6 months after the first. That shouldn't be delayed, shingles is bad news.

If your mother hasn't had the one I got today since November '22, she's missed almost a handful of boosters.

It was my wife's primary care visit when the reminder came up (same doctor I use) and the conversation I related was her conversation.

The chain pharmacy we use took us into the booth together. The pharmacist said "You're smart, after 65 it's best to get this every 6 months. It came out last August or early September last year so we're just starting to see patients for the second dose". We both had it the second week of September

In and out in 10 minutes. Free. A no-brainer.

Everyone has the time to do this, protect yourself, your family and your community.

She's not currently ill food?

Nope, perfectly healthy. In retrospect I do recall the doctor saying no sense in the flu shot now, but that doesn’t explain the June ‘26 date. I’d think Sept ‘25. The other two, I’m at a loss.

Sory you got sick, Elmer. I agree and we get the boosters regularly, but I didn't realize the recommendation is every 6 months now. Will be checking in with the doc and pharmacy. Thanks.

Elmer, what shot did the pharmacist advise you to get every 6 months?

FOAS — that seems like one whacky vaccination protocol for your mother.

I went to a chain store pharmacy for a couple of boosters. I really am very please with that pharmacy and staff. They are very organized, clean, professional and aware.

Our state, as many states do) has a registry. But when our pharmacy looked up some of my imunizations, they were not listed. Looks like my doc’s office didn’t submit a couple of them. The chain store pharmacy gave me (offered) receipts. I’m going to keep better track personally.

I highly recommend the following for those who get vaccinated:

1. The two shot shingles vaccination

2. Pneumonia shot

3. Yearly flu vax

4. Tetanus booster within every ten years

5. Covid-19 booster

Any vaccinations for what are often considered childhood diseases if you have not had the disease and your doctor thinks it’s prudent to get the vax.

Unfortunately, next flu season may be dicey. The CDC meeting, conference to discuss what strains to include in the fall 2025 influenza vaccine was cancelled by folks in the administration and has not been rescheduled.

PS Elmer, I re-read your post and believe I understand now.

Getting my covid booster tomorrow. Good idea, since Im out of country in May. Free, with a 10% off coupon for groceries with Safeway. I get a flu shot every year. Once again free. However, I dont get the RSV vaccine. Its more for the elderly with medical issues, or the young. Otherwise, its just a cold, like any other cold.

FOAS — that seems like one whacky vaccination protocol for your mother.

I went to a chain store pharmacy for a couple of boosters. I really am very please with that pharmacy and staff. They are very organized, clean, professional and aware.

Our state, as many states do) has a registry. But when our pharmacy looked up some of my imunizations, they were not listed. Looks like my doc’s office didn’t submit a couple of them. The chain store pharmacy gave me (offered) receipts. I’m going to keep better track personally.

I highly recommend the following for those who get vaccinated:

1. The two shot shingles vaccination

2. Pneumonia shot

3. Yearly flu vax

4. Tetanus booster within every ten years

5. Covid-19 booster

Any vaccinations for what are often considered childhood diseases if you have not had the disease and your doctor thinks it’s prudent to get the vax.

Unfortunately, next flu season may be dicey. The CDC meeting, conference to discuss what strains to include in the fall 2025 influenza vaccine was cancelled by folks in the administration and has not been rescheduled.

Whst about the newer RSV vaccine? I know zip about it.

The headline reminded me of what Judge Judy's doctor said...if you want to live a long life, don't fall.

We usually get the shot in the fall along with the flu shot...usually October because flu rates spike in the winter with everyone being indoors and we want the immunity to last through the worst of the season.

Of course, I'm not sure now what's going to happen since they've canceled the big session where experts come together to determine the most likely strains against which they design the shot....

Zoster was the old vaccine for shingles, one shot but not nearly as effective as the newer Shingrix.

We get our shots usually in October at the local pharmacy. Covid and flu and anything else our doctor advises. So far, we’ve both managed to avoid being sick from covid or flu or anything else.

Recommended twice a year as Elmer's doctor said, for 65 and older.

https://www.cdc.gov/covid/vaccines/stay-up-to-date.html

If I were traveling by plane I'd probably make sure I had a 2nd shot as the vast majority of people I know who've gotten cov had been flying, and many maskless. Last time we flew, we wore masks the whole time in the airport and on the plane, put the cone of clean air over us with the vent on the plane and were diligent about handwashing. Neither of us got ill, thank goodness. Who wants to be sick on vacay??

I’ll have my husband ask our doctor when he goes next week to have his hand checked out.

Sidenote and slightly off topic: We were on holidays near Cancun last month. My husband picked up broken glass on the beach. He slipped on some rocks while carrying it and cut his hand. No good deed goes unpunished. He was treated by hotel doctor, sent by taxi into Cancun, and received nine stitches. The bill was $6000 CDN. Our travel insurance covered every penny. Always buy travel insurance. The bright side of this story is that he didn’t break his hip. And the whole ordeal lasted only four hours.

roxsol, would your health insurance not have covered it?

I go every six months for a checkup although it mainly means my doctor reads my bloodwork and listens to heart and lungs. I get the flu/covid test in Sept or October every year. I'm up to date in Shingles with the first vaccine and then the new and improved two doses, my pneumonia shot, and since I had bad measles when I was 7 , lifelong immunity I'm told. I did not get the RSV shot this year and had the worst reaction from that in the form of a sore arm. Doc said it wasn't necessary. At the risk of jinxing myself, I have not had flu, covid, or noro this year. But I'm still dealing with back issues from my fall on the ice three weeks ago as well as an infected leg caused by a cat.

A few years ago, I wasted hours on the internet trying to get an appointment for my Covid vaccine. I'd choose a place and time and go through filling out all of the forms, only to have it say that they were out of the vaccine.

Then one day when taking a different route home, I passed a tiny pharmacy that had a big sidewalk sign saying they did walk-ins. They were super nice, had a comfy bench where I could lie down (I'm a big baby about shots.) and when it was over, they gave me a lollipop! It turns out that they get a good supply of vaccine because they have a lot of oncology and HIV patients. The pharmacist told me that they will even go to the home of patients who are too infirm to come to them. You sure don't get that kind of service from CVS!

Now I'm caught up on Covid, flu, pneumonia and shingles shots, all from this little pharmacy. And I got a lollipop every time :-)

I haven't gotten the RSV vax and probably won't. Has anyone here had that one? I don't think I've even known anyone who caught RSV.

Annie D, sometimes careful habits aren't enough. I've gotten recurring immunizations as per my doc's advice since they became available. Last one before getting sick was 3 months earlier. Wore new N-95 mask from when I got into the shuttle for the return trip until when I exited the airport at home.

Thanks for the kind sentiment cyn. I took the first Paxlovid pill barely two hours after the positive test and I think perhaps that's why my symptoms were mild and of short duration.

suzique, I’m not sure. Our Alberta Healthcare states:

When travelling outside Canada, your Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan (AHCIP) provides limited coverage, primarily for emergency medical services, and you'll likely need additional travel insurance to cover unexpected medical expenses.

We don’t buy extra coverage when we are travelling in Canada.

We submitted the bill to the insurance company, they hashed it out with AHCIP, and we got a cheque a couple of weeks later. I don’t know who paid what. Everything was covered from the taxi ride there and back, the hotel doctor services, the private hospital visit, and the antibiotics.

His followup appointments to have the stitches removed etc. are all covered by AHCIP and we don’t see the bill for that.

FOAS, I have been managing my Moms care and going in with her on the vists. She is 87 and healthy minus her little heart attack in 2022. I have discovered that they will make a recommendation verbally for further tests, vaccines, dermatologists, etc. There is absolutely zero pressure for her to get those things done but it is noted in her records. I would imagine that the computer system for your parents healthcare, requires them to enter something for ”next scheduled” or ”next recommended”. Probably a required field.

After my fortunate mid-50s retirement, I continued to have exactly the same medical insurance coverage through my firm. No change of any kind. That insurance provided full coverage for anything and everything necessary when outside the US.

Upon turning 65, my coverage, still from my firm, morphed into being a Medicare Advantage plan. Still with very generous additional and unrequired benefits but integrated with Medicare (as a cost savings for them). US Medicare doesn't generally cover medical expenses outside the US so starting at that point, we've had to purchase supplemental insurance for travel abroad. I've mentioned before that insuremytrip.com is an excellent, knowledgeable, no-pressure brokerage to use.

If some think of that as "bad news", fine. The good news is, it's cheap. A policy with very adequate coverage, including comprehensive (more than just emergency) medical services and something like $50K for repatriation evacuation, for an upcoming trip of nearly three weeks, cost about $200 per person.

Suzique, I think I misunderstood your question. 🤠

Yes, our insurance would have covered a broken hip. I just meant the fall could have resulted in a broken hip or something worse. Once, I saw him stand up, I knew that all was good.

What odd advice for her food. I'm glad you're her advocate.

During my recent visit to my primary doc - a followup from my 2 night hospital stay last week, she advised me the new protocol is Covid shot every 6 months for those with underlying risk conditions & all over 65. I am just now 6 months out from my Covid shot but I was advised to wait until I finish the course of meds I’m on since hospital stay. My DH & I believe in science & have consistently gotten all recommended shots. It is discouraging that they aren’t currently working on our next flu shot mix as has been done for so many years. Hope that we don’t suffer another pandemic because of that bad lack of research. People forget about the Spanish flu in 1918 & what science has learned about these viruses mutating.

We always purchase travel health insurance. We've only had to use it once - I developed a UTI while visiting Norway. I posted on the Norway subreddit, asking how to find/visit a doctor. Within minutes, I was given a location and a phone number to call, but told just to "show up" and I would be seen.

And I was. Within 90 minutes, I was out the door with a prescription for antibiotics. Total cost (to me) was about $150 with the exchange rate. I submitted my receipts to our travel health insurance company and was reimbursed about two weeks later. That coverage costs us about $75/person (and does include repatriation), through my spouse's work-sponsored health insurance company.

As for immunizations and boosters, I'm always up-to-date - including tetanus. I still have had Covid five times! It's been awful, and I do suffer from Long Covid - brain fog, shortness of breath, and reduced sense of smell.

Chartreuse Scorpion - five times? Wow. I am so sorry. I believe you win the "prize" for having had it the most of anyone I have heard of. :( I've had it 3 times myself. 2/3 weren't horrible, but my first one was horrid. I was really sick for about 8 weeks and then very slowly recovered from there.

Nice job looking out for your mom FOAS.

I had one mild case of Covid a year ago and am sure the vaccines were the reason.

For protection from practitioners of misinformed outrage, I'm sure lily will allow me to clarify what I'm certain is her meaning - the vaccines are the reason for her having a mild case, not the reason for her contracting the illness.

I've not had COVID best as I'm aware. I've had five vaccines (3/9/2021, 11/4/2021, 10/19/2022, 9/18/2023, 9/9/2024).

I never had an influenza vaccine until 2013, have continued yearly since then.

Elmer, you are correct. I was not clear on that sentence. And on second thought, it was more than a year ago... October 2023. The reason this was not as bad as even a nasty cold I attribute to the vaccines!

" if you want to live a long life, don't fall. "

I think about that often as I get older, and it's a big part of why I continue my Pilates classes.

As it happens, I made an appointment today for my Pneumococcal pneumonia vaccine, something I hadn't thought of, but was recommended as I'll be starting a medication that affects my immune system.

A few days have passed and I'll conclude sharing the experience. The injection site was never tender or sensitive to being touched. My arm had no soreness at all. For my wife, it was the same. It was the Pfizer version, the one we've been getting for most prior times.

MY primary told me the same thing - I had a Covid injection last fall and he told me to get another one now and then again this fall.

I had a mild case of Covid 2 years ago. The symptoms started around noon and progressed rapidly so I took a Covid test and started Paxlovid within 4 hours of testing positive.

DH and I had both received our Covid, Flu and RSV shots 2 weeks prior to getting Covid.

My symptoms were not severe and within 5 days I felt significantly better.

DH also started Paxlovid within hours of becoming ill - however his case was much worse than mine and lasted for nearly 2 months.