The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Mandy Cohen has endorsed two new recommendations from the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) regarding the COVID and pneumonia vaccines.
NEW COVID Recommendations: - People 65 years and older, as well as those who are moderately or severely immunocompromised, should receive a second dose of the 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine six months after their first dose.
- The updated guidance provides flexibility, allowing additional doses (e.g., three or more) for individuals who are moderately or severely immunocompromised, in consultation with their health care provider (a strategy known as shared clinical decision-making).
The CDC states that data continue to confirm the importance of vaccination in protecting those most at risk for severe COVID-19 outcomes. Receiving the recommended 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine can restore and enhance protection against the virus variants currently causing the majority of infections and hospitalizations in the United States. COVID-19 vaccination also reduces the chance of developing Long COVID, a condition that can occur during or after acute infection and persist for an extended period.
- Lowering the age for pneumococcal vaccination from 65 to 50 years.
The CDC explains that lowering the age for pneumococcal vaccination allows more adults to protect themselves from pneumococcal disease at the age when the risk of infection significantly increases. Pneumococcal bacteria can cause serious illnesses, including pneumonia, meningitis, and bloodstream infections. Older adults are at a heightened risk for pneumococcal disease.