Senior Housing Blog: "The Race"

8 Myths of Alzheimer's Disease - Part VI

  

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This is the sixth of an eight part series on common myths of Alzheimer's Disease.  These myths were originally provided by the Alzheimer's Association.  Senior Solutions has memory care services available at three of our locations and we are committed to being an active part of the Alzheimer's community.  We look forward to your feedback on this series.

Myth 6: Flu shots increase risk of Alzheimer's disease.

Reality: A theory linking flu shots to a greatly increased risk of Alzheimer's disease has been proposed by a U.S. doctor whose license was suspended by the South Carolina Board of Medical Examiners. Several mainstream studies link flu shots and other vaccinations to a reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease and overall better health. 

• A Nov. 27, 2001, Canadian Medical Journal report suggests older adults who were vaccinated against diphtheria or tetanus, polio, and influenza seemed to have a lower risk of developing Alzheimer's disease than those not receiving these vaccinations. The full text of this report is posted on the journal's Web site. 
• A report in the Nov. 3, 2004, JAMA found that annual flu shots for older adults were associated with a reduced risk of death from all causes. The abstract of that report is posted on PubMed.