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Will is founder and CEO of Belmont Village Senior Living, and lives in North County. Perissinotto, M.D., is a professor and leading clinician of internal medicine for the elderly at the University of California San Francisco medical school. She lives in San Francisco.

Apart from their yearly flu shots, most people, ourselves included, take the subject of immunity for granted. We are no strangers to immunizations, as we took a battery of shots, often all at once, as small children at the behest of our parents so they could protect us against terrible diseases — even death. By contrast, the topic of immunity against COVID-19 and other diseases has become a lightning rod of controversy in the U.S, with many people not perceiving COVID-19 vaccinations in the same light or with the same gravity as the ones that were given to us as children.

Belmont Village, which has two senior living communities in the San Diego area, has worked tirelessly to make certain that residents, their families and staff are informed and protected. We believe it is important to not only implement protocols developed from the most current understanding of the coronavirus in the eyes of scientists, experts in medicine and guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but to also make sure the science and reasoning behind those protocols is fully understood by our people. As a result of these efforts, we can proudly say that we were among the first to implement protective protocols to get our residents and staff fully vaccinated.

We recently hosted a webinar on vaccination that featured Dr. Peter Hotez, the dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine and co-director of Texas Children’s Hospital’s Center for Vaccine Development, who has battled some of this century’s most deadly diseases, including COVID-19. In conjunction with the event, we advised the senior population about immunity and the importance of vaccinations and boosters for COVID-19.

Apart from their yearly flu shots, most people, ourselves included, take the subject of immunity for granted. We are no strangers to immunizations, as we took a battery of shots, often all at once, as small children at the behest of our parents so they could protect us against terrible diseases — even death. By contrast, the topic of immunity against COVID-19 and other diseases has become a lightning rod of controversy in the U.S, with many people not perceiving COVID-19 vaccinations in the same light or with the same gravity as the ones that were given to us as children.

Belmont Village, which has two senior living communities in the San Diego area, has worked tirelessly to make certain that residents, their families and staff are informed and protected. We believe it is important to not only implement protocols developed from the most current understanding of the coronavirus in the eyes of scientists, experts in medicine and guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but to also make sure the science and reasoning behind those protocols is fully understood by our people. As a result of these efforts, we can proudly say that we were among the first to implement protective protocols to get our residents and staff fully vaccinated.

We recently hosted a webinar on vaccination that featured Dr. Peter Hotez, the dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine and co-director of Texas Children’s Hospital’s Center for Vaccine Development, who has battled some of this century’s most deadly diseases, including COVID-19. In conjunction with the event, we advised the senior population about immunity and the importance of vaccinations and boosters for COVID-19.

The function of vaccines, whether they are for the flu, COVID-19 or any other infection, is to teach our immune system to recognize a virus before the virus hits full force, and to crank up our adaptive immune response by making antibodies that can attack a specific and known (after vaccination) foreign invader. By doing so, the vaccine keeps our immune systems from going into overdrive, which in turn often protects older adults from becoming critically ill. In general, seniors need a higher dose to generate an immune response like that of younger people, as one’s antibody levels decrease over time.

Many leading medical experts’ point is simple: Our vaccine science is advanced, long-tested, highly effective and safe. Additionally, boosters are especially important, and their efficacy in promoting immunity has been recognized for decades. We clearly see the linear decreases in antibody levels in our body, neutralizing antibodies. And if we have lower levels, it means we are not as adept at fighting the virus, and at risk of getting sick again. According to Dr. Hotez, the booster, or third immunization shot, is what gives individuals a 20-fold rise in virus-neutralizing antibodies, helping to halt the replication of the virus, and making the immune system more durable for a long amount of time.

We need to consider future COVID-19 variants that may emerge, and that is why education about the immune system is even more imperative. The need for education and awareness on the importance of vaccines and boosters for aging adults is critical. We have witnessed firsthand how the gift of immunity has enhanced our residents’ lives, physically and emotionally. We look forward to more focus on immunity and seniors long before the next pandemic.

Click here to read the complete article in The San Diego Union Tribune.