2 flu vaccines are designed specifically for seniors

Dear Savvy Senior: Are there any specific flu shots that are better suited for seniors? I just turned 65 and would like to find out what’s recommended and how Medicare covers it. — Semi-Healthy Senior

Dear Semi-Healthy: There are two different flu vaccines available this year that are designed specifically for seniors age 65 and older. One option is the Fluzone High-Dose, which has been available since 2010. The other is the new FDA-approved FLUAD vaccine (you only need to get one of these).

The Fluzone High-Dose (see Fluzone.com) is a high-potency vaccine that contains four times the amount of antigen of a regular flu shot. This creates a stronger immune response for better protection. The new FLUAD vaccine (FLUAD.com) contains an added ingredient called adjuvant MF59, which also helps create a stronger immune response.

The extra protection these vaccines provide is particularly helpful to seniors who have weaker immune defenses and have a great risk of developing dangerous flu complications. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that the flu puts more than 200,000 people in the hospital each year and kills an average of 24,000 — 80 to 90 percent of whom are seniors.

Be aware that both Fluzone High-Dose and FLUAD are not recommended for seniors who are allergic to chicken eggs, or those who have had a severe reaction to a flu vaccine in the past.

You should also know that the CDC does not recommend one vaccination over the other, and to date there have been no studies comparing the two vaccines.

If you decide you don’t want to get a senior-specific flu shot, there are other options available, including the standard (trivalent) flu shot, the quadrivalent flu shot — which protects against four different flu viruses — and the FluBlok vaccine for those who have egg allergies.

To locate a vaccination site, visit Vaccines.gov and type in your ZIP code. You’ll also be happy to know that as a Medicare beneficiary, Part B will cover 100 percent of the cost of any flu shot, as long as your doctor, health clinic or pharmacy agrees not to charge you more than Medicare pays.

Pneumonia vaccines

Two other important vaccinations the CDC recommends to seniors, especially this time of year, are the pneumococcal vaccines for pneumonia. Around 1 million Americans are hospitalized with pneumonia each year, and about 50,000 people die from it.

The CDC recommends that all seniors 65 or older get two vaccinations: Prevnar 13 and Pneumovax 23. Both vaccines, which are administered just once at different times, work in different ways to provide maximum protection.

If you haven’t received any pneumococcal vaccine, you should get the Prevnar 13 first, followed by Pneumovax 23 six to 12 months later. If you’ve already been vaccinated with Pneumovax 23, wait at least one year before getting the Prevnar 13.

Medicare Part B covers both shots if they are taken at least 11 months apart.

Jim Miller is a contributor to

NBC-TV’s “Today” program

and author of “The Savvy

Senior.” Send your questions

to Savvy Senior, P.O. Box

5443, Norman, OK 73070; or

visit savvysenior.org.