Older U.S. adults should get another COVID-19 shot, health officials recommend : NPR

Understanding the COVID-19 Booster Shot Recommendation

Comirnaty, a new Pfizer/BioNTech vaccination booster for COVID-19, is showcased at a pharmacy in Orlando, Florida, on Friday, September 15, 2023.

Comirnaty, a new Pfizer/BioNTech vaccination booster for COVID-19, is on display at a pharmacy in Orlando, Florida, on Friday, September 15, 2023.

Joe Burbank/AP

NEW YORK — U.S. health officials recommended that older adults in the United States receive another COVID-19 shot, even if they had a booster in the fall.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised that Americans aged 65 and above should receive an additional dose of the updated vaccine available since September, given at least four months have passed since their last shot. This recommendation aligns with the guidance proposed by an expert advisory panel earlier that day.

“Most COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations last year occurred among individuals aged 65 and older. An extra vaccine dose can offer added protection to those at the highest risk,” stated CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen.

The advisory panel deliberated extensively on whether older individuals “may” or “should” receive the shots. This deliberation reflects expert debates on the necessity of another booster and concerns about increasing vaccine fatigue among the public.

While some doctors believe that most older adults are adequately protected by the fall shot, which enhanced immunity from previous vaccinations and exposure to the virus, preliminary studies have not shown significant waning in vaccine effectiveness over six months.

However, seniors experience a faster decline in vaccine-induced defenses over time compared to other adults. The committee had previously recommended COVID-19 booster doses for older adults in 2022 and 2023.

COVID-19 continues to pose a threat, particularly to older individuals and those with underlying medical conditions. The CDC reports over 20,000 hospitalizations and 2,000 deaths weekly due to the coronavirus, with the highest rates among individuals aged 65 and older.

Some members of the advisory panel stated that a “should” recommendation aims to encourage doctors and pharmacists to offer the shots more explicitly.

“Most individuals either seek the vaccine or decline it,” mentioned Dr. Jamie Loehr, a committee member and family physician in Ithaca, New York. “I aim to facilitate providers in recommending this.”

In September, the government recommended a new COVID-19 shot formulation targeting a coronavirus variant known as XBB.1.5. This single-target vaccine replaced combination shots that previously targeted the original coronavirus strain and an earlier omicron version.

The CDC recommended the new shots for all individuals aged 6 months and older, allowing those with weakened immune systems to receive a second dose as early as two months after the first.

Despite the recommendations, the latest CDC data indicates that only 13% of U.S. children and about 22% of U.S. adults have received the shots. The vaccination rate is higher among adults aged 65 and older, nearing 42%.

<p”Each subsequent vaccine has seen a decrease in uptake,” noted Dr. David Canaday, an infectious diseases expert at Case Western Reserve University studying COVID-19 in older populations.

“People are fatigued from frequent vaccinations,” added Canaday, who is not part of the committee. “We must be cautious about excessive vaccine recommendations.”

However, certain individuals at higher risk of severe illness and death have been inquiring about the permissibility of an additional dose, as highlighted by Dr. William Schaffner, a vaccines expert at Vanderbilt University who participates in the booster question workgroup.

Survey data from the CDC suggests that the primary concern of this group regarding the vaccine is its effectiveness.

According to agency officials, individuals who received the latest COVID-19 vaccine version are 50% less likely to fall ill after exposure to the virus compared to those who did not receive the fall shot.

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