On February 28, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended that people 65 and older receive an additional dose of the COVID-19 vaccine’s current formulation. The recommendation reflects public health concerns about disproportionately higher rates of hospitalizations and deaths within the age group, especially those 75 and older, even as disease rates have mediated from their peak in early January. The spring booster will be the same shot that was approved last fall, which was formulated to target the XBB.1.5 subvariant. The vaccine is effective against the JN.1 subvariant, which is currently causing more than 96% of new COVID infections in the United States. The recommendation applies to individuals who have already received the 2023-2024 COVID vaccine and stipulates that providers should administer the vaccine at least four months after the previous dose. The recommendation was approved by CDC Director Mandy Cohen, aligning the United States with Canada and the United Kingdom in offering a spring booster this year to people at high risk of severe disease if they contract COVID.
