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A federal advisory panel said Wednesday that American ages 65 and up should get newer flu vaccines.
Regular shots, they said, do not provide enough protection for the seniors, whose weakened immune systems don’t respond as well to traditional shots.
The shots include Fluzone High-Dose, Fluad with an immune booster or Flublok.
If the newer shots aren’t available, the members said seniors should get regular flu shots.
Huntington, N.Y.: Wendy Gonzalez, RN, prepares a flu shot at Huntington Village Pediatrics, in Huntington, New York on December 8, 2021.
(Photo by Steve Pfost/Newsday RM via Getty Images)
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“These influenza vaccines are better but are not yet the home run that we would love to have,” panel member Dr. Helen Keipp Talbot, of Vanderbilt University, said.
The panel’s recommendations are usually taken on by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), but this would be the first time the government has stated a flu vaccine preference for this age group.
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, left, gets a flu shot from Cenetra Pickens, a nurse with Kaiser Permanente, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2020, at the Capitol in Olympia, Wash.
(AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
CDC officials reported that the flu vaccine last winter was just 35% effective in preventing flu symptoms severe enough to require medical attention.
While influenza viruses are detected year-round in the U.S.. flu viruses are most common during the fall and winter.
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Activity often begins to increase in October.
The agency said everyone six months and older should receive an annual flu vaccine.
FILE – In this Thursday, Jan. 23, 2020, file photo, a patient receives an influenza vaccine in Mesquite, Texas.
(AP Photo/LM Otero, File)
People who are ages 65 and older are at higher risk of developing flu complications.
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It’s estimated that, in recent years, between 70% and 85% of seasonal flu-related deaths have occurred in those 65 and older.
Between 50% and 70% of seasonal flu-related hospitalizations have occurred among people in this age group.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
