The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has updated its COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for people 65 and older and those with compromised immune systems. It is currently recommended that older adults and people with weakened immune systems (including people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, pregnant women, and cancer patients) receive the vaccine twice a year. I am. Doctors have praised the update.
There have been many changes to recommendations regarding COVID-19 vaccines since the first immunizations began several years ago. And now that the latest COVID-19 variant, XEC, has become known, it’s important to get vaccinated. Now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released new guidance regarding COVID-19 vaccines for people age 65 and older and/or who are immunocompromised.
This report provides specific recommendations for the latest COVID-19 vaccines for people aged 65 and older and moderately and severely immunocompromised people, and includes recommendations from physicians. I am. “I love these recommendations,” says Dr. Thomas Russo, a professor and chief of infectious diseases at the University at Buffalo in New York. “There’s good data to support them.”
Meet the experts: Thomas Russo, MD, professor and chief of infectious diseases at the University at Buffalo, New York. Infectious disease expert Amesh A. Adalja, MD, senior fellow at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security;
So what are the new recommendations and what do they mean for more people? Here’s what you need to know.
What are the CDC’s new COVID-19 vaccine recommendations?
The CDC’s new COVID-19 vaccine recommendations recommend a second dose of the latest coronavirus vaccine for people 65 and older and those who are moderately or severely immunocompromised. That means eligible people will receive two shots a year.
“This recommendation, along with currently available data on vaccine efficacy and annual COVID-19 prevalence, recognizes the increased risk of severe disease from COVID-19 in older adults and immunocompromised individuals. ” says the guidance. “This recommendation also provides clarity to health care providers about how many vaccinations per year should be given to moderately or severely immunocompromised patients, and expands the scope of second-dose vaccinations for that group. The purpose is to
Why do we need these recommendations?
There are several reasons why the CDC recommends vaccination twice a year for these groups.
“This recommendation reflects that the burden of severe disease is concentrated among high-risk populations and that current generation vaccines do not provide durable immunity to this population.” says Amesh A. Adalja, MD, expert and senior research fellow at Johns Hopkins University. Health and Safety Center.
COVID-19 vaccines typically provide protection for four to six months, but that’s not enough for people who are more susceptible to severe complications from the virus, Dr. Russo said. “That also applies to the flu vaccine,” he says. “If high-risk people are vaccinated in the fall, their level of protection will start to disappear at four to six months, leaving them unprotected for the rest of the year.”
Dr. Russo also pointed out that year-round protection is especially important for people who are more susceptible to severe illness because “COVID-19 is a year-round disease.”
What is “moderate or severe immunodeficiency”?
The CDC has a complete list of underlying medical conditions that are considered high risk. These include (but are not limited to):
Asthma Cancer Chronic kidney disease Chronic lung disease Type 1 and type 2 diabetes Obesity Pregnancy
What does this mean for others?
At this time, CDC guidance regarding the latest COVID-19 vaccines remains consistent for everyone else. In other words, if you are under 65 and your immune system is not compromised, the CDC recommends getting the latest COVID-19 vaccine once a year. Unlike the flu vaccine, the CDC does not recommend getting the most up-to-date vaccine by a certain date. Instead, health authorities want to get the vaccine as soon as possible.
It remains to be seen whether everyone else will need two shots in the future. “If you’re young and healthy and have a predicted good immune response, is annual vaccination sufficient? We don’t know yet,” Dr. Russo says. “However, if you keep up to date with all eligible vaccinations, your risk of developing serious illness and hospitalization is lower.”
Dr. Russo emphasizes the importance of getting vaccinated no matter what spectrum of health conditions you fall into. “Last year we did very poorly with people getting the latest shots,” he says. “The new coronavirus is more virulent and more deadly than influenza. The key is to get people vaccinated.”
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