Originally Posted by
ajGoes
The vaccine is much less effective in older people. It's more important for everyone else to get it in order to reduce the risk to the elderly.
Originally Posted by
muji
Nevertheless some protection is better than none. I know of elderly people who died from the flu. They were in the same hospital ward where I was when I had the flu.
The vast majority of flu-related deaths occur in people 65 years and older.
That's true, and older people should always get the vaccine. But because of the lower effectiveness of the vaccine in the old, the mortality rate would be reduced more by vaccinating every person
under 65.