Sponsored by Pfizer
I remember missing only one or two days of school because of sickness when I was a kid. And, aside from taking short maternity leaves from work after my two children were born, I missed maybe a handful of days away from the office since I started working full time almost 50 years ago! I’ve been lucky to have good health and oodles of energy my whole life, so I could fill my days doing everything I loved, from working as an editor to traveling, from throwing dinner parties for 10 to renovating a 19th century house.
As I’ve aged, however, I’d noticed a definite decline in my energy. Sometimes I’d be so tired by midday that I’d curl up on the sofa in my office to nap. A reduced level of energy, as a matter of fact, is a natural result of aging itself. And, because our immune systems naturally weaken as we age we’re more vulnerable to many of the diseases that can slow us down, even if we eat right, exercise, and don’t smoke or drink.
Pneumococcal pneumonia is one of these diseases. Your risk of being hospitalized after getting pneumococcal pneumonia at 65 years or older is thirteen times greater than adults who are younger than 50 years old!
You may feel like you were able to bounce back quicker from illnesses when you were younger, but you’re not as resilient at 50, 60 or 70, no matter how fit you think you are. It would depress me if I was too weak to work, not to mention keep up with my 4 ½-year-old grandson, who doesn’t stop moving, except when he’s asleep. And, who would walk Rigby if I was laid up in bed! I am one of the 46.2 million Americans over the age of 65, and thankfully, we Baby Boomers are a vibrant group. A close 60-something friend goes white water rafting and can hike 16 miles in Grand Teton National Park. I know not all boomers our age are as adventurous as my friend, but we’re “booming” by exploring new passions and activities, and we don’t want anything to keep us down.
Pneumococcal pneumonia obviously isn’t something to take lightly. By the way, you probably know that pneumonia is an infection of the lungs. But did you know it can be caused by many different bacteria, viruses, and even fungi? The most common type of bacterial pneumonia is pneumococcal pneumonia.3
To empower Baby Boomers to get a new attitude about the risks of pneumococcal pneumonia and the importance of staying up-to-date on the CDC-recommended vaccinations, Pfizer recently launched the All About Your Boom™ campaign alongside music icon Patti LaBelle. Check out AllAboutYourBoom.com for more information and be sure to watch a short, cool video with Patti, who wants to help educate adults 65 and older about this potentially deadly illness.
If you’re not already aware, you can help protect yourself against pneumococcal pneumonia with CDC-recommended vaccinations, so be wise and talk to your doctor about whether they’re right for you.
We decided to create a little quiz to test how much you know.
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