CDC recommends seniors get another COVID-19 shot

(CNN) – People age 65 and older should get an additional dose of the current COVID-19 vaccine, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended. The agency’s independent vaccine advisers voted Wednesday to recommend the additional shot, and CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen endorsed the recommendation. The vote of CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices was 11 yes and one no, with one person abstaining. Related Stories Under the new recommendation, people 65 and older can receive an additional dose of any updated COVID-19 vaccine at least four months after the previous shot. The current COVID-19 vaccine, which was updated last fall, is considered highly effective. Early estimates from CDC studies show that although there has been no substantial waning yet, protection will wane over time. However, the protection offered by any vaccine disappears even quicker in older people because their immune systems don’t respond as well. The initial proposal used the word “may,” but the committee changed the language to “should” to emphasize how important it is to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Although 98% of the U.S. population has some kind of immunity to COVID-19, whether from infection, vaccination or both, that gives only some protection against...