Marital Status, Bereavement Influence Flu Shot's Effectiveness in Elderly

State of mind affects antibody response, study suggests

By Alan Mozes
HealthDay Reporter

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MONDAY, March 20 (HealthDay News) -- A flu shot's ability to work for the elderly appears to depend on certain life events experienced by the patient, a new British study suggests.

The shot appears to be less effective among elderly patients coping with the recent death of a relative or close friend. Conversely, the vaccine seems to be more effective for patients who are married or cohabitating, rather than single. And it's particularly effective among those who say they're happily married.

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"We were surprised that in an older sample of individuals, the factors affecting antibody response to the vaccine were not overall stress load and social support, but very specific factors in those categories: bereavement and marital status and satisfaction," said study lead author Anna C. Phillips, a research fellow at the University of Birmingham's School of Sport and Exercise Sciences.

According to the National Institutes of Health, while an annual flu shot may not prevent getting the flu, it greatly reduces an elderly person's risk of serious illness or even death.

NIH statistics show a flu shot reduces the need for hospitalization by 70 percent for elderly not living in nursing homes, and death rates by 85 percent. And for the elderly in nursing homes, a flu shot cuts the risk of hospitalization by 50 percent, the risk of pneumonia by 60 percent, and the risk of death by 75 to 80 percent, according to the NIH.

In 2003, Phillips and her team focused on 184 people -- 80 men and 104 women -- over the age of 65, who were drawn from among five Birmingham-area medical practices. Almost all the patients were non-smoking whites, and nearly all had previously received a flu shot designed to offer protection from three strains of influenza.

To assess antibody responses, blood samples were taken three times over the course of one year -- at the time of the vaccination, one month later, and 12 months later.

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