(BPT) – Baby Boomers may be aging, but that doesn’t mean they’re slowing down anytime soon. As a group, these adults continue to lead active lifestyles, pursuing their goals and relishing new experiences. A key to maintaining an active way of life is staying healthy – particularly when it comes to avoiding vaccine preventable diseases like pneumococcal pneumonia. That’s why Pfizer created the All About Your Boom™ campaign, to encourage Boomers to take important steps to help protect their health.
Increased age may equal increased risk
As adults get older, their immune systems tend to weaken, meaning those 65 or older can be at a heightened risk for certain diseases.1,2,3 There are more than 51 million adults in the United States 65 or older, and many do not realize that they are at an increased risk of pneumococcal pneumonia.1,4 It can strike anywhere, anytime and may start quickly with little warning. Adults 65 or older are over 10 times more likely to be hospitalized with pneumococcal pneumonia than adults 18-49.5
“Pneumococcal pneumonia is a serious and, in some cases, potentially life-threatening illness. Some of its physical effects can be felt for weeks, taking you out of your routine,” said Dr. Vincenza Snow, Senior Medical Director for Vaccines, U.S. Medical Affairs Lead at Pfizer. “That’s why it’s so important that Boomers talk to their doctor about staying up to date with their CDC recommended vaccinations, because even healthy adults can contract the disease.”
Dr. Snow reminds everyone that age is one of the primary risk factors for pneumococcal pneumonia, due in large part to the natural, age-related decline of the immune system.1 Common symptoms include high fever, excessive sweating, shaking chills, coughing, difficulty breathing, shortness of breath and chest pain. Certain symptoms, like cough and fatigue, may last for weeks or longer.6 However, vaccines may help reduce the risk of getting certain diseases, like pneumococcal pneumonia.
Football legend joins the cause
Baby Boomers know their exuberance for life doesn’t diminish as they age. That’s why the All About Your Boom™ campaign partnered with someone who exudes that same love of life: Hall of Fame football player Terry Bradshaw. As a four-time NFL champion turned TV analyst, many adults are drawn to Bradshaw’s inviting and larger-than-life personality. He said the campaign’s message is important to him as a former athlete, and he wants others to enjoy their lives as much as he enjoys his life.
“I’m just getting started on all the things I want to do in life,” Bradshaw said. “That’s why it’s important for me to do what I can to lower my chances of getting a vaccine-preventable disease, like pneumococcal pneumonia, which could hold me back from doing the things I love.”
As a spokesperson for the campaign, Bradshaw is featured in a series of short videos with him checking off various activities on his fictitious bucket list. Check out the videos and learn more about the campaign and pneumococcal pneumonia at www.AllAboutYourBoom.com.
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1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Pneumococcal Disease: Risk Factors & Transmission. http://www.cdc.gov/pneumococcal/about/risk-transmission.html. Accessed April 27, 2017.
2 National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Pneumonia. Causes. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/pneumonia. Accessed June 24, 2019.
3 Weinberger B, Herndler-Brandstetter D, Schwanninger A, et al. Biology of immune responses to vaccines in elderly persons. Clin Infect Dis. 2008; 46:1078-1084.
4 U.S. Census Bureau. Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Selected Age Groups by Sex for the United States, States, Counties and Puerto Rico Commonwealth and Municipios: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2014.
5 Ramirez JA, Wiemen TL, Peyrami P et al. Adults hospitalized with pneumonia in the United States: incidence, epidemiology, and mortality. Clin Infect Dis. 2017:1-7. [Epub ahead of print.]
6 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Pneumococcal Disease: Symptoms & Complications. http://www.cdc.gov/pneumococcal/about/symptoms-complications.html.
