CDC Suggests Older Adults To Get Booster Shots for COVID-19 in Spring

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has endorsed that individuals at increased danger of serious problems from COVID-19, particularly those aged 65 and older, consider receiving a booster shot during the spring.

COVID-19 Booster Shots for Older Adults

This advice follows a vote by the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) in favor of the booster dose. The recommendation affirms the need for another round of the vaccine in the coming months to intensify protection, anticipating a possible surge in COVID-19 cases during the upcoming summer.

Unlike the flu, which typically spikes in winter, COVID-19 has shown a figure of both winter and summer waves over the past four years.

The proposed timing for the booster is at least four months after the last dose for healthy older adults, or at least three months after being infected with COVID-19. Individuals with compromised immune systems may desire booster shots.

The spring booster will enforce the same shot approved last fall, designed to target the XBB.1.5 subvariant. This vaccine remains effective against the currently predominant JN.1 subvariant, causing over 96% of new COVID-19 infections in the United States.

New data presented by the advisory committee indicates that the booster shot significantly reduces the likelihood of hospitalization for otherwise healthy individuals aged 65 and older by up to 54%.

The CDC plans to release additional details on this research. While COVID-19 rehabilitation and passing have reduced, the CDC features the growing susceptibility of individuals aged 65 and older.

Regardless of decrease from the spike of 35,000 weekly rehabilitation in early January to around 20,000 by February 7, COVID-related hospital admittance have consistently remained above 6,000 during the past year.

The declining number of COVID-19 deaths, although developing, still highlights the effect of continued diligence and vaccination struggles.

Booster Shots Available in the Coming Months

While present COVID movement is on a descending inclination in the United States, experts assume continued considerable virus circulation in the coming months.

ACIP had formerly made related spring booster recommendations in 2022 and 2023. The expected next dose is considered to be conducted at least 4 months after the last dose, with individuals with compromised immune systems possibly receiving their next dose at least 2 months after the last one.

Michael T. Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP), described ACIP's recommendation as a crucial step. Although the specific advice for a broader group of immunocompromised individuals is yet to be clarified, the current recommendation for those aged 65 and older covers a significant portion of the at-risk population.

Data from the CDC for the initial weeks of February reported over 1,000 COVID-19 deaths per week, with a likelihood that most occurred in seniors.

The unpredictable nature of COVID-19, with changing SARS-CoV-2 variants and nine peaks linked to new variants, makes forecasting more complex than for the flu.

Prior to today's discussion, the CDC's COVID-19 vaccine work group proposed wording suggesting that seniors "may" receive an additional dose.

However, during deliberations, some ACIP members favored a more assertive "should receive an additional dose" to convey a clearer message to vaccine recipients and simplify decision-making for healthcare providers.

While some worried that a stronger recommendation might discourage those who had not received a COVID-19 vaccine in the fall, others argued that the evidence supporting an extra vaccine dose justified a more emphatic recommendation.

After a switch to stronger recommendation, the measure passed with 11 yes votes, 1 no vote, and 1 abstention.

CDC Director Mandy Cohen subsequently endorsed the recommendation, emphasizing that immunocompromised groups were already eligible for an additional COVID-19 vaccine dose based on earlier CDC guidance.