1. Pneumococcal vaccine

Pertussis, which is a highly infectious respiratory illness attributed to the bacteria Bordetella pertussis, is known to be transmitted from adults to children. On the other hand, pneumococcus, the bacteria behind meningitis, encephalitis, and pneumonia, can be easily passed from children to adults and seniors.

When children have this bacteria, they generally get mild infections, such as ear infections, but when older adults have it, there is a big problem since pneumococcus causes pneumonia, which is a leading cause of death among seniors. What is worse is that the older you are, the higher the risk.

This is why the pneumococcal vaccine is one of the vaccines every senior should get if they want to protect themselves. According to the CDC, those aged 75 to 84 are three times more likely to die from pneumonia than those aged 65 to 74. When compared with the 65-74 demographic, the risk for people aged 85 and older is more than ten times higher.