Abstract
Midlife is often defined as age 50 and above and is a period of life when patients commonly access the healthcare system, having recognized the need for various preventions. The Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) identified cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancer and osteoporosis as the most common causes of morbidity, disability, and poor quality of life in post-menopausal women. Healthcare professionals routinely screen patients with risk factors for these diseases and offer prevention and treatment to improve their quality of life. However, recommendations for immunizations are often neglected leading to unnecessary morbidity and mortality in our aging population. In Canada, it is estimated that 20,000 hospitalizations related to influenza occur each year and that 4,000 to 8,000 Canadians die from influenza-related complications alone. Vaccines can prevent the debilitating and fatal effects of infectious disease, yet clinical evidence has revealed an adult immunization gap. Midlife screening and intervention should serve as an immunization checkpoint, providing an opportunity for healthcare professionals to optimize quality of care and health maintenance in older patients.
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