Do Seniors Need a Ninth COVID Shot?

Why do some people think that seniors need a ninth COVID shot because COVID vaccines are ineffective?

The usual suspects…

Do Seniors Need a Ninth COVID Shot?

More specifically, this misinformation about COVID vaccines comes from Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

“Today, CDC Director Mandy Cohen endorsed the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ (ACIP) recommendation for adults ages 65 years and older to receive an additional updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine dose. The recommendation acknowledges the increased risk of severe disease from COVID-19 in older adults, along with the currently available data on vaccine effectiveness.”

Older Adults Now Able to Receive Additional Dose of Updated COVID-19 Vaccine

To be fair, it is true that there is a new recommendation for adults ages 65 years and older to receive another COVID vaccine dose.

But even with this dose, that doesn’t mean that most folks would have gotten nine doses of COVID vaccine to be up-to-date and fully protected against COVID.

So far, there has been:

• the original primary series (two doses) – Dec 2020
• a booster dose – Sept 2021
• the bivalent booster dose which targeted Omnicron variants – Sept 2022
• an updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine which targets XBB.1.5 variant – Sept 2023

It is easy to see that’s five doses for most adults.

Six doses if you add in the new recommendation for seniors.

So how can you get to nine doses?

“Adults ages 50 years and older: A booster dose is recommended at least 5 months after the second primary series dose, for a total of 3 doses. mRNA vaccines are preferred for the first booster dose. A second mRNA booster dose could benefit people ages 50 years and older, as they are at increased risk for severe COVID-19. People ages 50 years and older may choose to receive a second booster dose using an mRNA vaccine if it has been at least 4 months after the first booster dose, for a total of 4 doses.”

Interim Clinical Considerations for Use of COVID-19 Vaccines Currently Approved or Authorized in the United States

Although not a formal recommendation, older adults have had the option to get extra doses of their COVID-19 vaccines for extra protection.

And if, and only if, you got all of those extra doses, then that could get you to nine eight doses… But again, those extra doses were suggestions for seniors, not a formal recommendation, not like this latest extra dose.

Does it matter though?

By saying seniors need nine shots, Kennedy and others are trying to scare folks into thinking that COVID vaccines don’t work, a common anti-vaccine argument.

Of course, we know that COVID vaccines work very well and that we have needed updated COVID vaccines to cover new COVID variants.

So do most seniors, which is why 92% of seniors have had a COVID vaccine! Unfortunately, fewer, only about 40%, have had the latest updated vaccine, which is why this kind of propaganda from Kennedy is dangerous.

We also know that COVID vaccine are safe, with few risks.

So get vaccinated and fully protected if you want to avoid a serious COVID infection, which could be life-threatening, or could lead to long-COVID.

“This is the vital information people need for making informed decisions. What’s my risk from the disease and of course, what’s my risk from taking the vaccine? Now, with all of these vaccines, overwhelming, the best group to be in is in the vaccinated group by huge margins.”

GVDN Co-Director Dr. Helen Petousis-Harris on Science in Action

If you’re a senior, if you haven’t had it yet, you do need an updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine which targets the XBB.1.5 variant (we all do) and then you should get another dose four months later. While that won’t get you to a total of nine doses of COVID vaccines, you will be fully protected.

More on COVID Shots for Seniors

• The Truth About COVID-19 Vaccines
• I’m Not Anti-Vaccine, I Just Don’t Believe in the COVID-19 Vaccine
• CDC – Older Adults Now Able to Receive Additional Dose of Updated COVID-19 Vaccine
• CDC – Stay Up to Date with COVID-19 Vaccines
• CDC – Use of COVID-19 Vaccines in the United States
• COVID-19 Shots: What Older Adults Need to Know
• Researchers investigate a man who received 217 Covid vaccinations
• Adaptive immune responses are larger and functionally preserved in a hypervaccinated individual
• What You Need to Know About XBB.1.5, the Latest Omicron Variant
• COVID-19 Vaccine Safety Technical (VaST) Work Group Reports
• Three New Studies Show the COVID Vaccines Are Very Safe for Children
• The largest safety study of COVID vaccines finds rare issues
• How antivaxxers weaponize vaccine safety studies to falsely portray vaccines as dangerous
• COVID-19 vaccines and adverse events of special interest: A multinational Global Vaccine Data Network (GVDN) cohort study of 99 million vaccinated individuals
• COVID vaccinations reduced death rates in Europe by 57%
• COVID-19 Vaccines Are NOT Gene Therapy

Last Updated on March 9, 2024