Winter Is Coming. Don't Let a Preventable Illness Send You to the Hospital.
A Message from Alex Foxman, MD, FACP, ABOM
Founder & Medical Director, Mobile Physician Associates
As temperatures begin to drop and the winter respiratory virus season approaches, so does an increased risk of serious illness among older adults and people living with chronic medical conditions.
Every winter, influenza, COVID-19, RSV, and pneumonia contribute to thousands of potentially preventable hospitalizations across the United States.
For seniors, especially those over age 65, a respiratory infection is not always just a few days of coughing and fever. It can lead to dehydration, falls, confusion, worsening heart or lung disease, loss of independence, and prolonged hospitalization.
The good news? Many of these complications can be prevented or reduced through timely immunizations, early medical intervention, and coordinated care delivered right in your home.
Four Important Vaccines to Discuss Before Winter
1. Influenza (Flu) Vaccine — Protect Against Serious Illness
Influenza can be particularly dangerous for older adults and individuals with heart disease, diabetes, COPD, or weakened immune systems.
Annual flu vaccination helps reduce the risk of serious influenza complications, including hospitalization. Adults age 65 and older should preferentially receive a high-dose, recombinant, or adjuvanted influenza vaccine when available.
2. COVID-19 Vaccine — Reduce the Risk of Severe Disease
COVID-19 remains a significant cause of respiratory-related hospitalizations among older and medically vulnerable adults.
Updated seasonal vaccination can help protect against severe illness, hospitalization, and death.
Adults age 65 and older and people with moderate or severe immunocompromise should discuss their recommended 2026–2027 vaccination schedule with their healthcare provider, including whether additional doses are appropriate (typically every 6 months).
3. RSV Vaccine — Protection Against a Serious Respiratory Threat
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is often associated with childhood illness, but it can also cause severe pneumonia and respiratory failure in older adults.
RSV vaccination is recommended for adults age 75 and older and adults ages 50–74 with increased risk for severe RSV disease, according to current CDC guidance.
RSV vaccination is not currently an annual vaccine. Most eligible adults need only one dose.
4. Pneumococcal Vaccine — Help Prevent Serious Bacterial Infections
Pneumococcal disease can cause pneumonia, bloodstream infections, and meningitis.
Adults age 50 and older, along with certain younger adults with medical risk factors, should be assessed for pneumococcal vaccination based on their prior vaccine history.
Vaccinations Are Only Part of the Solution
At Mobile Physician Associates, our goal is not simply to treat illness. It is to prevent avoidable emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and the complications that can follow.
Our medical team brings care directly to patients in their homes and assisted living communities, including:
Seasonal immunizations and preventive care
Physician and advanced practice provider home visits
Evaluation and treatment of new symptoms
Mobile laboratory testing and diagnostic services
Chronic disease management and medication review
Coordination with caregivers, families, and home health agencies
For frail older adults, avoiding an unnecessary trip to the hospital can mean avoiding additional risks, including delirium, falls, hospital-acquired infections, and physical deconditioning.
Feeling Sick? CALL US FIRST!
A new cough, fever, weakness, reduced appetite, or sudden confusion should never be ignored in an older or medically fragile patient.
Early intervention can make the difference between receiving treatment at home and requiring hospitalization.
If you or a loved one develops concerning symptoms, contact Mobile Physician Associates promptly.
Our team can help determine whether a home visit, diagnostic testing, medication adjustment, or a higher level of care is needed.
We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
For immediately life-threatening symptoms, including severe difficulty breathing, persistent chest pain, or unresponsiveness, call 911 without delay.
Protect Yourself Before Winter Arrives
Don't wait until respiratory viruses are circulating widely or a loved one becomes ill.
Now is the time to review your vaccinations, assess chronic medical conditions, and make sure you have a plan for obtaining medical attention when symptoms first appear.
At Mobile Physician Associates, we bring the doctor's office to you — helping you stay healthier, safer, and where you want to be: HOME.
CALL US FIRST.
Available 24/7 — (310) 256-2426
Alex Foxman, MD, FACP, ABOM
Founder & Medical Director
Mobile Physician Associates
Medical note: Vaccine eligibility, timing, and dosing depend on current recommendations, age, risk factors, and previous immunizations. Individual vaccination plans should be reviewed with your healthcare provider.
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