fall vaccines

JJPups

Curious to know how others have approached the issue of getting vaccines (COVID, flu, RSV) for your LO with dementia. My mom is later stages now where taking her out of the house, even to a doctor's appointment is becoming a big challenge. There are no options I can find to provide vaccines in the home. Considering how difficult it is to provide personal care to her (resistance and combativeness), I'm not sure how we will get these done this year.

clarinetist

Is your mom on hospice or palliative care? If so, perhaps a nurse can come to the house and give the vaccines?

harshedbuzz

@JJPups

In the later stages, especially for a PWD who isn't in a congregate living situation, I don't see where preventative care is as critical as it is for others. Some might even parse it as eliminating an exit ramp in the context of an end-stage terminal disease. It's a risk/benefit thing.

If she's living in your home, it might be better to be sure those who have contact with her are fully vaccinated and practicing good health hygiene.

HB

SusanB-dil

Since MIL does still see her sister and her sister's kids & grandkids, we did go with a flu vax. We also have a health-aid once a week. Pretty sure the health-aids are required to keep up with all of that anyway, though. But just in case somebody is carrying something, we did go with just for flu.

Quilting brings calm

I would just make sure the people around her are vaccinated- and then they avoid close contact if they feel unwell. If she never leaves the house, you can limit the number of people she sees.

JJPups

She lives with my father and other visitors in the home include aids who are not required to be vaccinated by the agency they work with and my sibling and his family who seem to care less about masking etc. based on past behavior (but are there only once a week or so). I'm thinking of asking everyone who is an aid or visitor to start masking by mid October but I have no control over it in some sense because I do not live there (live down the road and am there frequently). I do think about the "exit ramp" to this terrible situation and feels sad that basic care for my mom now feels out of reach at times. I am hoping to just get her through this winter without any major health events.

dancsfo

re: I would just make sure the people around her are vaccinated

I agree. If you caught COVID19 recently during the summer surge, CDC says you can delay vaccination by 3 months, with the exception:

———

However, certain factors could be reasons to get a vaccine sooner rather than later, such as:

• Personal risk of severe disease

• Risk of disease in a loved one or close contact

• COVID-19 is causing a lot of illness in your community

• COVID-19 variant currently causing the most illness

from:

https://www.cdc.gov/covid/vaccines/faq.html

MN Chickadee

We did all these vaccines for my mom up until the end, but it was easy because she was in a facility and the nurse just came around and did them. In your case I may not, given how difficult it is to get her out of the house and try to ensure everyone around her is vaccinated and stays away when they feel that throat tickle coming. Sounds like that may be challenging with your family dynamics though. My mom was vaccinated and boosted and still died from covid in 2022; the compromised brain often causes a big spiral from viruses even when vaccinated. In some cases having dementia makes a person as susceptible to death from even minor illnesses like one would be from a compromised immune system, cancer treatments etc. The deteriorating brain leaves a person very vulnerable. There may not be a right answer in your situation. Have you called your county public health department? That is the only entity that has ever done in home vaccinations in my area. They send a public health nurse out if one qualifies. If your mom is actually housebound, a hospice evaluation may be in order and they could advise on if/how to get her vaccinated.

M1

I’m very much in favor of vaccinating, but here’s something to consider: the Novovax Covid vaccine may cause less adverse reaction in the elderly than the Moderna and Pfizer brands (Novovax is protein based rather than mRNA). My partner had a terrible reaction last year so we’re inquiring whether Novovax might be a better alternative. Not clear whether our MC can get it but we’re asking

midge333

I am interested in getting the Novovax as well. Our local Costco carries it.

dancsfo

If you have Gullain-Barré syndrome (It's rare), then an mRNA vaccine may be more appropriate.

https://www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safety/about/guillain-barre.html

harshedbuzz

Anectdote: I opted for the Novavax this year, along with same-day, senior flu.

I chose Novavax because I was miserable for 36+ hours after doing flu and Moderna last year. TBH, the reaction to Novavax was comparable (fever, Chills, muscle and joint aches, headache, and fatigue) but they passed in about half the time.

HB

dancsfo

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/223851#Comment_223851

Glad to hear it passed in half the time. For those who may avoid a shot due to side effects, some say that it is a sign that is is working as intended.

https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2024/06/427851/feeling-rough-after-your-covid-shot-congrats-its-working

harshedbuzz

@dancsfo

That's been the case for me. I've had significant exposures a number of times and — 🤞 so far— dodged illness.

Over Christmas, DS picked it up working the Christmas trains as a photographer and passed it to my mom and DH. Another time I spent 4 hours in the salon chair getting foils, cut, style and gossip. My stylist and his husband tested positive that night. He felt terrible, but I never got sick.

BTW, free tests are going to be available again this fall.

https://www.health.com/order-free-covid-test-fall-2024-8716940

HB

M1

thanks HB, good to know about the tests and about your experience with Novavax. I have a drawer full of tests but all out of date….

Iris L.

Thanks for sharing, HB, I just ordered some tests.

Iris

Iris L.

I just received my four free COVID test kits in the mail. The expiration dates say 12/23/23, but there is a card saying to check the website for the extension of the expiration dates.

Iris