Charlotte, North Carolina – Older adults aged 65 and above bear a disproportionate burden of the impacts of COVID-19, facing a higher risk of severe disease and hospitalizations.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently recommended an additional dose of the COVID-19 vaccine for older adults to enhance their protection against the virus. CDC Director Mandy Cohen emphasized the importance of this additional dose, stating that most COVID-19-related deaths and hospitalizations occurred among individuals aged 65 and older. The official recommendation ensures that insurance plans cover the cost of the extra shots, which will be readily available at pharmacies in the coming days.
While older adults are encouraged to receive the additional vaccine dose, individuals between the ages of 18 and 64 do not face the same level of risk. Therefore, the CDC’s advisers concluded that an extra dose would not be as cost-effective for this age group.
According to scientific advisers at the CDC, the latest vaccines have shown an effectiveness of around 40 to 50 percent against symptomatic infection or hospitalization, based on the current variants circulating. Despite the small sample size used in the analysis, the advisory panel voted 11-1, with one abstention, in favor of recommending the additional shots for older adults.
Furthermore, the CDC’s current guidance already includes a recommendation for an extra COVID-19 vaccine dose for moderately or severely immunocompromised individuals, who have the option of receiving a third dose two months after their initial vaccination. However, vaccine uptake has been declining steadily since the authorization of the first COVID-19 vaccine in 2021, with federal data indicating that less than a quarter of adults in the U.S. have received the updated COVID-19 vaccine for the 2023-24 season.