COVID-19 vaccines: CDC says people ages 65 and up should get a shot this spring

Adobe Stock Photo – a geriatrician explains why it’s vitally& important by Laurie Archbald-Pannone, University of Virginia In my mind, the spring season will always be associated with COVID-19. In spring 2020, the federal government declared a nationwide emergency, and life drastically changed. Schools and businesses closed, and masks and social distancing were mandated across much of the nation. Even if you got a COVID-19 shot last fall, the spring shot is still essential for the 65 and up age group. whyframestudio/iStock via Getty Images Plus In spring 2021, after the vaccine rollout, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said those who were fully vaccinated against COVID-19 could safely gather with others who were vaccinated without masks or social distancing. In spring 2022, with the increased rates of vaccination across the U.S., the universal indoor mask mandate came to an end. In spring 2023, the federal declaration of COVID-19 as a public health emergency ended. Now, as spring 2024 fast approaches, the CDC reminds Americans that even though the public health emergency is over, the risks associated with COVID-19 are not. But those risks are higher in some groups than others. Therefore, the agency recommends that adults age 65...