As the holiday season brings families together, it’s a perfect time to have meaningful, and sometimes difficult, conversations about health. If you have older family members 60 years and up, discussing their health – particularly around vaccines – can feel challenging.
Kimberly Jeffries Leonard, President and CEO of Envision Consulting and the first woman to chair the Board of Directors of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, Inc., has partnered with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to tackle these tough conversations. Through the Risk Less. Do More campaign, Leonard is encouraging families to have open dialogue on the importance of vaccines for older adults.
Older adults often face multiple chronic conditions, including high blood pressure, diabetes, and kidney disease. When these chronic conditions are mixed with flu, COVID-19, or RSV, it puts them at greater risk for more severe illnesses.
“We want you to be as healthy as possible if you get these respiratory illnesses. We don’t want you to go in the hospital. We don’t want you to have severe illnesses,” said Leonard. “We want you to have less symptoms. We can risk less and do more.”
“When the world gets the cold, our communities get the flu.”
As the world recovers from COVID-19, the disparity in health outcomes for communities of color remains a critical concern. Leonard highlights that Black and Brown communities bore some of the heaviest health burdens from COVID-19, and these communities are still experiencing them today. In the last respiratory virus season, Black adults were nearly twice as likely as Hispanic and White adults to be hospitalized for the flu and 25% more likely to be hospitalized for COVID-19.
For those having conversations with older loved ones, Leonard offers practical advice: “What you want to say is: The goal is to keep you as healthy as possible. We don’t want you to be at that kind of risk for severe illness from these viruses. So, getting your vaccine helps keep your symptoms as less severe as possible.”
Risk Less. Do More
Now is the time to talk with your loved ones about the updated flu and COVID-19 vaccines. Protecting their health is an act of love and care. For more information, check out cdc.gov/RiskLessDoMore.
Check out the interview: Dr. Kimberly Jeffries Leonard Talks Respiratory Virus Risks with Café Mocha Radio
About Kimberly Jeffries Leonard.
Dr. Kimberly Jeffries Leonard is the President and CEO of Envision Consulting, LLC, and is the first Black woman chair of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, Inc. Board of Directors. With over 40 years of experience, Dr. Jeffries Leonard is currently serving as the current Chair of Fayetteville State University Board of Trustees – her undergraduate alma mater; current Member and Secretary of AIDS United Board of Directors; the 17th National President of The Links, Incorporated and The Links Foundation, Incorporated; Vice President of Administration and Member of the Board of Directors of the Black Women’s Agenda, Inc.
