Staying up to date on vaccinations is critical for everyone in protecting against various illnesses, but it is particularly important for people with diabetes. Having an illness while living with diabetes is more likely to lead to worse outcomes than in someone without, increasing their risk for hospitalization. Additionally, the stress-related hormones that are released during illness raise blood glucose levels and weaken the body’s ability to fight the infection.
Work with the people you see to understand their feelings about vaccinations and help them get the vaccinations they need to shield against or lessen the impact of common illnesses—including seasonal respiratory illnesses such as influenza, COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
Seasonal Respiratory Illnesses
People with diabetes are vulnerable to adverse health outcomes from seasonal respiratory illnesses, especially those who are not vaccinated. The risk of RSV (commonly found in children) heightened in the wake of COVID-19, especially for older individuals and those with underlying health conditions.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), up to 160,000 older adults are hospitalized due to RSV annually and up to 10,000 die as a result of the virus—with people with diabetes overrepresented in those numbers.
The American Diabetes Association’s Standards of Care in Diabetes (Standards of Care) provides updated recommendations for routine vaccinations for people with diabetes—including influenza, COVID-19, and RSV—to mitigate these risks. By using a person-centered team care approach, health care professionals can support the people they see to help increase their understanding of and access to recommended vaccinations.