Justice Ginsberg needs a boost to her immune system, either gamma globulin or a straight-up infusion of WBCs, but, she needs assistance. She is in her 80s. They have trouble with their immune system.

None of this is abnormal for her age. An annoyance, sure, but not abnormal. She is a good example of the special considerations doctors should be afforded the older American. We are living longer and the physicians that care for them need to conduct the proper assessments when treating our elderly.

The body ages entirely and not system by system. The immune system is serviced in several organs in the body, but, the bone marrow where white blood cells are produced ages as well. Sometimes an older person needs a little bit of assessment beyond what is normally done.

By Camilla Noe Pagan

Does it seem like you get sick more (click here) than you did when you were younger. When you are under the weather, does it take you longer to feel good again?

Immunity -- your body’s defense system -- tends to get weaker with age.

“Just as you probably can’t run as fast as you used to in your 20s, your immune system doesn’t work as well as it used to,” says Aaron E. Glatt, MD, chairman of the department of medicine at South Nassau Communities Hospitals.

But fear not -- at least not much....