A US government advisory panel suggests a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine for older adults, while early estimates show flu shots to be effective in combating the winter season’s flu virus.
A US government advisory panel recently recommended that older adults who received a COVID-19 vaccine in the fall should now be offered a booster dose. The panel, which voted 11-1, advised that Americans aged 65 and above should receive another shot, provided at least four months have passed since their last vaccination. The recommendation comes as vaccine-induced immunity tends to wane over time, particularly in the elderly, who face a higher risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19. Despite this, the uptake of the vaccine, specifically the latest version targeting the XBB.1.5 coronavirus variant, has been low, with only 13% of US children and about 22% of adults having received the shots.
In a related health effort, US flu shots are reportedly showing effectiveness against the winter flu season. Early estimates suggest that the vaccines are about 40% effective in preventing adults from needing medical care due to the flu, and approximately 60% effective for children. Despite the recommendation for everyone aged 6 months and older to get vaccinated, only around half of the eligible population has received the flu shot. Health officials emphasized the importance of vaccination despite varying effectiveness in different seasons, highlighting it as a key measure in combating the flu virus.
