Washington [US], February 29: The director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on February 28 approved the use of updated Covid-19 vaccines as a second annual vaccination for people 65 years of age and older.
US CDC Director Mandy Cohen's final recommendation comes after a group of experts advising the agency said people 65 and older in the US should get their second annual Covid-19 shot in the spring. this, according to Reuters.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) of the US CDC voted on the above recommendation with a result of 11 votes in favor - 1 vote against.
Last year, the committee only recommended an optional supplemental Covid-19 vaccine shot for this age group.
"Most deaths and hospitalizations due to Covid-19 last year occurred in people 65 and older. An additional shot of the vaccine may help boost protection no matter how much gradually decreases over time for those at highest risk," Ms. Cohen said.
The US CDC said people aged 65 and older were more seriously affected by Covid-19, with more than 50% of hospitalizations for the disease between October 2023 and December 2023 belonging to this age group.
According to estimates by the US CDC, about 22% of adults in the US have been vaccinated with the updated version of the Covid-19 vaccine for the 2023-2024 vaccination season, and nearly 42% of them are people aged 65 and older.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
