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Which Immunizations Do I Need?
Published: July 19, 2024

By V. Zhang

August marks National Immunization Awareness Month! In a post-COVID world, it may seem mundane to hear about immunizations and vaccines for the millionth time. You might be asking, ‘This again?’ It’s exhausting, and it’s reflected in the decrease in vaccine uptake rates across the world, and the recent resurgence in measles cases in North America. But the reality is that immunizations are our best defense against serious preventable diseases and have been for the past one hundred years. And while immunizations are important for people of all ages to protect themselves and others, they are even more important in those living with health conditions like Parkinson’s disease (PD). Below, we have compiled a list of some recommended vaccines.

But first, what do vaccines even do, and how do they work?

In case you are not familiar with what vaccines do, vaccines train our immune system to identify, trap, and destroy specific disease-causing invaders—like exercising to train muscles. Vaccines do this by safely imitating those disease-causing invaders, which causes the immune system to respond by producing proteins called antibodies, multiplying the number of white blood cells already present in your body, and gathering a whole host of other molecules. 

When a vaccine is given, it is usually the first time your body has seen this invader. The time it takes to organize an effective response is long. But—like most things in life—it gets easier after the first time. The next time you encounter this invader, your body remembers how to fight it, and the response is much faster and stronger, to the point where you might not even feel sick. 

This is how vaccines prevent you from getting sick, and if you are not sick, then you cannot get others around you sick, either. This is why it is so important to vaccinate: there are people who cannot get vaccinated for many health reasons (for example, allergies), so not only are you doing it for yourself, but you are also doing it for others.

Now, for many vaccines, this immunity does not last forever. Some invaders are smart and mutate themselves often enough that we need to train our immune systems to recognize them, like the flu virus. Or, in other cases, our body forgets, just like our brain does, and it needs a little reminder every now and then.

Parkinson’s and the importance of immunization

Those living with PD are at higher risk of respiratory infections and experiencing complications. Aspiration pneumonia is one of the main concerns, which is a lung infection that is caused by food, liquids, or other contents entering the airway. If there is a swallowing and/or cough dysfunction, those contents may not be coughed up, and will enter the lungs, causing an infection. There are vaccines that can prevent the infection from taking hold, or at least lessen the symptoms and complications.

COVID-19 is another respiratory infection, and there is increasing evidence suggesting that the virus can worsen PD symptoms.

As a side note, there is research associating several viral infections with an increased risk of developing PD. The flu virus is one of them. If nothing else, please encourage your friends and family to get the flu shot.

So, what vaccines are available?

Each person is unique in their vaccine needs. For now, we will focus on a few major ones below. 

Please do not take this as health advice. Talk to your health care provider to ask them if you are up to date on your immunizations and about which vaccines you are eligible for—they know you the best.

Influenza (flu) vaccine:

  • Protects against the influenza virus, which causes the flu. 

  • It is not 100% protective, but it will at least lessen symptoms and complication risk.

  • Eligibility: All Manitobans over the age of 6 months are eligible, and those over 65 years old are eligible for a high-dose vaccine, free of charge.

COVID-19 vaccine:

  • Protects against the COVID-19 virus, which causes COVID. Any doses after the first two doses will contain updated virus strains. 

  • It is not 100% protective, but it will at least lessen symptoms and complication risk.

  • Eligibility: All Manitobans over the age of 6 months are eligible, free of charge.

Pneumococcal vaccine:

  • Protects against many strains of pneumococcus, which is a common cause of pneumonia, invasive pneumococcal disease (which may lead to meningitis), and other infections. 

  • It is not 100% protective, but studies have shown it is about 75% protective against invasive pneumococcal disease.

  • Eligibility: All Manitobans 65 years old or older are eligible, and those who are between 18 to 64 years old may be eligible if you are determined to be high risk, free of charge.

Shingles vaccine:

  • Protects against shingles, which is caused by a reactivated chickenpox infection. If you have had chickenpox in the past, then you will be at risk of developing shingles. Shingles occurs most often in older adults and immunocompromised individuals, and it has been described by many to be an excruciating pain with a rash. There is no effective treatment currently. 

  • The vaccine offered in Canada has been shown to be over 90% effective in preventing shingles and provides at least 7 years of immunity.

  • Eligibility: Recommended for individuals 50 years old or older. In Manitoba, it is not free of charge.

References and resources:

P.H.A of Canada. (2024a, March 28). Herpes zoster (shingles) vaccine: Canadian Immunization Guide. Canada.ca. https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/healthy-living/canadian-immunization-guide-part-4-active-vaccines/page-8-herpes-zoster-(shingles)-vaccine.html

P.H.A. of Canada. (2024b, May 31). Pneumococcal vaccines: Canadian Immunization Guide. Canada.ca. https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/healthy-living/canadian-immunization-guide-part-4-active-vaccines/page-16-pneumococcal-vaccine.html

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023, May 24). Explaining how vaccines work. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/conversations/understanding-vacc-work.html

Leta, V., Urso, D., Batzu, L., Lau, Y. H., Mathew, D., Boura, I., Raeder, V., Falup-Pecurariu, C., van Wamelen, D., & Ray Chaudhuri, K. (2022). Viruses, parkinsonism and Parkinson’s disease: The past, present and future. Journal of Neural Transmission129(9), 1119–1132. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-022-02536-y

Phanhdone, T., Drummond, P., Meisel, T., Friede, N., Di Rocco, A., Chodosh, J., & Fleisher, J. (2021). Barriers to vaccination among people with Parkinson’s disease and implications for Covid-19. Journal of Parkinson’s disease. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8355058/#R10

Vaccine eligibility: Province of Manitoba. Province of Manitoba – Health. https://www.gov.mb.ca/health/publichealth/cdc/vaccineeligibility.html

Won, J. H., Byun, S. J., Oh, B.-M., Park, S. J., & Seo, H. G. (2021, March 23). Risk and mortality of aspiration pneumonia in Parkinson’s disease: A nationwide database study. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7988066/