Question

The nurse works in a geriatric clinic and promotes administration of influenza immunizations to patients over age 65 how frequently?

A) Once at age 65
B) Yearly
C) Every 5 years
D) As a one-time dose

Answer 1

Patients over age 65 should be immunized with the influenza vaccine yearly due to frequent mutations of the virus and the increased risk of serious complications.

Step-by-step explanation:

The nurse working in a geriatric clinic would recommend that patients over age 65 receive influenza immunizations yearly. Influenza viruses frequently mutate, which is why new vaccines must be developed each year to be effective against the currently prevalent strains. These vaccines are typically updated based on global surveillance data concerning which strains are most likely to cause illness during the upcoming flu season. The annual immunization is crucial for older adults because they have an increased risk of developing serious complications from the flu.