In an online statement released Thursday, June 30, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced its decision to recommend higher-dose, adjuvanted flu vaccines for people 65 and older. . Fluzone Quadrivalent, Flublok Quadrivalent and Fluad Quadrivalent high-dose influenza vaccines are among those specified in the statement.
The organization says these higher-dose vaccines may be more effective for the aging population, which often has difficulty mounting a strong enough immune response to protect itself from the flu virus. People over the age of 65 struggle harder during the flu season and have the highest proportion of hospitalizations and flu deaths, according to the statement.
But the CDC believes higher-dose vaccines have the potential to better protect against this danger. A study in The New England Journal of Medicine reported that high-dose / adjuvanted vaccines prevented influenza in older patients 24% better than lower-dose / non-adjuvanted vaccines.
These types of vaccines work by creating a greater immune response than a standard vaccine dose. In particular, adjuvanted vaccines contain an additional ingredient that helps the immune system produce a stronger reaction to the vaccine. These can be things like aluminum salts, which tell the body to respond faster. Similarly, higher-dose vaccines promote a stronger immune response by having more target virus particles in their mixture. In theory, this means that the body will create an improved response to the vaccine. For example, a higher dose vaccine can quadruple the amount of antigens compared to the standard dose.
The hope is that this recommendation can increase vaccine use at all levels, says Dr. José Romero, director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. As quoted in the CDC announcement, Romero said this may help reduce racial inequalities in access to flu vaccines. A 2019 meta-analysis concluded that black and Hispanic people are 30% to 40% less likely to receive the flu vaccine. Thus, increasing access to this drug “could help reduce health disparities by making these vaccines more available to racial and ethnic minority groups,” Dr. Romero said.
The decision, led by CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky, follows the recommendations of the Immunization Practices Advisory Committee, which was presented on the subject during a June 22 meeting. It is now part of the official CDC policy and will continue to develop as we approach the 2022-2023 flu season.
In addition, the organization says it will reveal more details of its plan in late summer, in its Weekly Morbidity and Mortality Report (MMWR). For now, seniors should know that they should try to get the recommended high-dose vaccines, but if they can’t, a standard dose of anything your provider has on hand will do.
At this time, there is still no specific vaccination recommendation for people under 65 years of age. Historically, the CDC avoids specifying one type of vaccine over another and says each should be effective in younger patients.
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