Adults 65 and Up Should Get a COVID-19 Booster This Spring, CDC Says
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended that people 65 and older get a second dose of the updated COVID-19 vaccine this spring to restore waning immunity.
If you’re in this age group, you are able to get an additional dose if it’s been at least four months since your previous shot.
Because immune systems lose strength as we age, seniors are one of the most vulnerable groups when it comes to getting severely ill from COVID-19. CDC data from the fall of 2023 shows that 63 percent of COVID hospitalizations are among those 65 and up, and adults in this age group account for nearly 9 in 10 COVID deaths.
“It seems pretty clear that vulnerable people are losing their immunity in less than a year, so now seems like a good time to get an updated shot,” says Stuart C. Ray, MD, a professor in the division of infectious diseases at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore. He notes that vaccine effectiveness can begin to fade after about 90 days.
“There is a gradual loss of immunity and an increased likelihood of getting symptomatically infected again, and the protection drops off faster the more vulnerable you are,” says Dr. Ray.
Vaccines Reduce the Odds of Severe COVID-19 Illness, But They Wear Off
Although COVID-19 numbers are currently trending down, the virus is still with us. Latest CDC figures for U.S. case counts show that there were about 19,000 hospitalizations and 526 deaths related to COVID in the week ending February 17.
“I take care of people with infectious disease at Johns Hopkins, and I’m still seeing people with bad symptoms from COVID, and consistently these are people who have not recently been vaccinated,” says Ray.
During the four-month period from mid-September to January, people who received the updated 2023–2024 COVID-19 vaccine were 54 percent less likely to get COVID-19, according to a CDC study published at the beginning of February. The vaccine provided similar levels of protection against XBB lineage variants and the JN.1 variant, which currently accounts for more than 96 percent of COVID infections.
If you are vaccinated and still get infected, the symptoms of the illness are usually less harsh. Vaccination also cuts your chances of suffering the effects of long COVID, which can develop during or following acute infection and last for an extended duration.
Considerations for the Immunocompromised
Individuals who are immunocompromised are also considered at high risk for severe disease from COVID. In a February 28 presentation to the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, Megan Wallace, DrPH, an epidemiologist with the CDC in Atlanta, said that moderately or severely immunocompromised people have the option to receive one additional dose of updated vaccine at least two months following the last recommended updated vaccine dose.
The CDC currently advises those who have weakened immune systems to “talk to your healthcare provider about getting additional doses of updated COVID-19 vaccine.”
A Push to Increase a Slow Vaccination Rate
Everyone 6 months or older is eligible to get an updated COVID-19 vaccine. Even if you’re not among those most susceptible to serious illness, the shot not only protects you but helps prevent transmitting the virus to those who are more likely to experience more harmful consequences.
As of February 23, about 42 percent of adults age 65 and older have received the updated 2023–24 COVID shot.
When looking at all adults 18 and older, just over 22 percent are up-to-date and only 13 percent of children have gotten the newest vaccine.
Back in December, the CDC issued a warning about the low vaccination rates and urged more people to get their shots. Among the key reasons many hadn’t gotten immunized were lack of provider recommendation, concerns about unknown or serious side effects, occurrence of mild side effects, and lack of time or forgetting to get vaccinated.
“I think there’s a lot of misinformation and that’s unfortunate,” says Ray. “I’m not sure how to counter that except by continuing to communicate what the science is showing and that we’re trying to do our best to keep people safe.”
