Updated CDC Vaccine Recommendations
The CDC Shares Updated Guidance for COVID and Pneumonia Vaccines
The Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) Director Mandy Cohen has endorsed two new recommendations from CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ (ACIP) regarding the COVID and Pneumonia vaccines. These recommendations are as follows:
NEW COVID Recommendations:
- People 65 years and older and those who are moderately or severely immunocompromised to receive a second dose of 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine six months after their first dose.
- These updated recommendations also allow for flexibility for additional doses (i.e., three or more) for those who are moderately or severely immunocompromised, in consultation with their healthcare provider (a strategy known as shared clinical decision making).
The CDC states that data continues to confirm the importance of vaccination to protect those most at risk for severe outcomes of COVID-19. Receiving recommended 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccines can restore and enhance protection against the virus variants currently responsible for most infections and hospitalizations in the United States. COVID-19 vaccination also reduces the chance of suffering the effects of Long COVID, which can develop during or following acute infection and last for an extended duration.
NEW Pneumonia Recommendation:
- Lowering the age for pneumococcal vaccination from 65 to 50 years old.
The CDC states that lowering the age for pneumococcal vaccination gives more adults the opportunity to protect themselves from pneumococcal disease at the age when risk of infection substantially increases. Pneumococcal bacteria can cause serious illnesses, including pneumonia, meningitis, and bloodstream infections, and older adults are at increased risk for pneumococcal disease.
