U.S. CDC advisers recommend spring COVID booster for seniors

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

 

Vaccine advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended that people ages 65 and older receive an additional dose of the current monovalent (single-strain) COVID-19 vaccine this spring.

 

The vote from the Advisory Committee on Immunization (ACIP) targets a group at higher risk for COVID-19 hospitalization and death. Immunity is known to wane following vaccination as well as infection, and it's been almost 6 months since the CDC weighed in with its last advice, which was that people ages 6 months and older receive the updated COVID vaccine targeting the XBB.1.5 variant.
 

Though COVID activity is currently trending downward in the United States, experts said it's likely that virus circulation will likely continue at significant levels in the months ahead. ACIP made similar spring booster recommendations in 2022 and 2023.

 

(more)

 

https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/cdc-advisers-recommend-spring-covid-booster-seniors

 

 

 

Older Adults Now Able to Receive Additional Dose of Updated COVID-19 Vaccine

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, February 28, 2024

 

Today, CDC Director Mandy Cohen endorsed the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ (ACIP) recommendation for adults ages 65 years and older to receive an additional updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine dose. The recommendation acknowledges the increased risk of severe disease from COVID-19 in older adults, along with the currently available data on vaccine effectiveness.

 

Previous CDC recommendations ensured that people who are immunocompromised are already eligible for additional doses of the  COVID-19 vaccine. Data continues to show the importance of vaccination to protect those most at risk for severe outcomes of COVID-19. An additional dose of the updated COVID-19 vaccine may restore protection that has waned since a fall vaccine dose, providing increased protection to adults ages 65 years and older.

 

Adults 65 years and older are disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, with more than half of COVID-19 hospitalizations during October 2023 to December 2023 occurring in this age group.

 

(more)

 

https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2024/s-0228-covid.html

 

[sirineou]

66 years old, going to the states this spring. I will seriously consider it. 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

1 minute ago, sirineou said:

66 years old, going to the states this spring. I will seriously consider it. 

 

fyi, forum health moderator @Sheryl has lately identified a government hospital travel clinic in Bangkok as being a confirmed source of the newer monovalent, XBB-targeted COVID vaccines from Pfizer. I've also confirmed the details with them, and will be doing a separate thread on the subject here shortly.

 

The only catch is, unlike prior no-cost government COVID vaccine offerings, the travel clinic COVID vaccine requires payment that all-in should come to about 2,500 baht per dose. But the good news is they're making the newer Pfizer vaccine available to all foreigners, both resident expats and also foreign tourists. (FWIW, Thais are being required to pay there also as well.)

 

The beginning of the discussion of this is located in the following thread below. But as I mentioned above, I'll also soon be doing a separate, standalone thread on the subject.

 

 

 

[stoner]

absolutely. considering a huge portion of all covid deaths in the usa were people 65 and over. 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

2 minutes ago, stoner said:

absolutely. considering a huge portion of all covid deaths in the usa were people 65 and over. 

 

From the CDC yesterday:

 

"Adults 65 years and older are disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, with more than half of COVID-19 hospitalizations during October 2023 to December 2023 occurring in this age group."

 

“Today’s recommendation allows older adults to receive an additional dose of this season’s COVID-19 vaccine to provide added protection,” said [CDC Director] Mandy Cohen, M.D., M.P.H. “Most COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations last year were among people 65 years and older. An additional vaccine dose can provide added protection that may have decreased over time for those at highest risk.”

 

https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2024/s-0228-covid.html

 

[EVENKEEL]

19 minutes ago, sirineou said:

66 years old, going to the states this spring. I will seriously consider it. 

66 yrs old, going to the states this month. The last thing on my mind. Actually not even on my mind.

[sirineou]

9 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

fyi, forum health moderator @Sheryl has lately identified a government hospital travel clinic in Bangkok as being a confirmed source of the newer monovalent, XBB-targeted COVID vaccines from Pfizer. I've also confirmed the details with them, and will be doing a separate thread on the subject here shortly.

 

The only catch is, unlike prior no-cost government COVID vaccine offerings, the travel clinic COVID vaccine requires payment that all-in should come to about 2,500 baht per dose. But the good news is they're making the newer Pfizer vaccine available to all foreigners, both resident expats and also foreign tourists. (FWIW, Thais are being required to pay there also as well.)

 

The beginning of the discussion of this is located in the following thread below. But as I mentioned above, I'll also soon be doing a separate, standalone thread on the subject.

 

 

 

Thank you John 

Unfortunately I am in Khon Kaen  and as I said I will be going to the US where it should be of no or very little cost. But I appreciate the information and I am following the Thread and if it becomes available in Khon Kaen  I will still consider it and chose not to wait until I went to the US.  

[sirineou]

3 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

66 yrs old, going to the states this month. The last thing on my mind. Actually not even on my mind.

Well since you responded to this thread . it's on your mind now LOL

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

It looks like the National Health Service in the U.K. also will be running an XBB-focused COVID vaccines campaign this spring for older residents, but with a higher minimum age than the U.S.:

 

Preparing for a successful spring 2024 COVID-19 vaccination campaign

Date published: 21 February, 2024

Eligible cohorts in spring 2024

• adults aged 75 years and over
• residents in care homes for older adults
• individuals aged 6 months and over who are immunosuppressed (as defined in the Green Book, chapter 14a; tables 3 and 4)

"This includes those who turn 75 years old by 30 June 2024. These people will be eligible for a vaccination at any point in the campaign. People who are admitted to an older adult care home or become immunosuppressed by 30 June are also eligible."

...

Campaign start and end dates

"Visits to older adult care homes and eligible housebound patients should begin 15 April 2024. For all other eligible cohorts, vaccinations should start by 22 April 2024 and end on 30 June 2024."

Supply and deliveries

"We will be using XBB.1.5 vaccines throughout the spring 2024 campaign, as deployed in the Autumn 2023. non-mRNA vaccines will not be supplied in the NHS programme."

 

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/preparing-for-a-successful-spring-2024-covid-19-vaccination-campaign/

 

[Red Phoenix]

39 minutes ago, sirineou said:

66 years old, going to the states this spring. I will seriously consider it. 

66 years old, and wild horses couldn't drag me to line-up for these shots...

[sirineou]

5 minutes ago, Red Phoenix said:

66 years old, and wild horses couldn't drag me to line-up for these shots...

You can take a horse to water but you cant make it drink 

[thaicurious]

I'll be researching this before deciding. My concern arises not from a simplistic anti-vax stance but one similar to criteria I used to decide against a second bivalent boost which was my concern for imprinting upon immunity with an older version when I was aware a newer version soon on the way. So I haven't yet read but I'd imagine there's a new formulation in the works but also towards the end of the year we could have a next gen mucosal vax.

 

I don't want to add risk at 67, but I still maintain good health, swim daily laps, etc., have the arteries of a 39 year old and I social distance outside & mask with an N-95 indoors in public always and I had the first new shot a few months back so I should be reasonably safe. I'm also researching to where the last shot might have waned in efficacy (do I still have 30 or 40% protection?)

 

Because then I have to weigh an extra 10% or 20% protection of a boost that might only last a extra few weeks or months before that also wanes against the possibility of immunity imprinting which can interfere with future "now current" vaccine protection, all while not knowing when will be distributed a new formula for 2024 or when will come the next gen vax.

 

So I emphatically disagree with anti-vaxxers putting themselves and others at risk for no good reason including their manufactured BS ones but I do understand seeking easier answers. If life was easy, anyone could do it.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Why Older Adults Need Another COVID-19 Shot

February 29, 2024

 

Older adults should get the COVID-19 vaccine more frequently than previously recommended, according to new guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Health officials are urging people ages 65 and older to receive another vaccine dose in the spring, or at least four months after their most recent dose.

 

CDC director Dr. Mandy Cohen announced the decision after a CDC advisory committee, which is made up of independent vaccine and infectious disease experts, voted 11-1 to make the change. “An additional vaccine dose can provide added protection that may have decreased over time for those at highest risk,” she said in a statement.

 

The decision is based on data presented by CDC scientists that showed current hospitalization rates for COVID-19 are highest among seniors, with the biggest spikes occurring among those 75 years and older. People 65 and older account for 67% of hospitalizations due to COVID-19. (The CDC previously recommended that most people get a COVID-19 vaccine once a year. )

 

(more)

 

https://time.com/6836390/older-adults-covid-19-vaccine-2024/

 

 

[Danderman123]

I got the shot last November, I will wait another 6 months for the next one. I hope that an updated booster will be available at that time.