CDC recommends second COIVD-19 vaccine for adults 65 and up

The Oneida County Health Department is now offering a second 2023-24 COVID-19 vaccine to adults 65 and older for additional severe illness protection through a summer peak. 

Here’s what you need to know:

• Who can get a second COVID-19 vaccine?

Adults ages 65 and older are eligible to receive a second 2023-24 vaccine at least four months after their initial 2023-24 COVID-19 vaccine. 

• Why is a second COVID-19 vaccine recommended?

Adults ages 65 and older are at higher risk for more severe complications of COVID-19. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices reviewed fall and winter 2023-24 COVID-19 hospitalizations and vaccine coverage data. Although COVID-19 hospitalizations were highest in late December and early January, about 20,000 new hospital admissions and 2,000 deaths due to COVID-19 still occur each week in the US. The highest rates of hospitalizations and deaths are in people age 65 years and older. In fact, from October 2023 to January 2024, over two-thirds (67 percent) of COVID-19 hospitalizations occurred in this people ages 65 and older.

• Why get the vaccine in the spring?

Over the past four years, cases of COVID-19 have risen in the summer and in the winter. While COVID-19 levels tend to be higher in the winter than in the summer, it is not as seasonal as flu and RSV where we see almost no cases in the summer. At this point, we still see hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19 throughout the warmer months. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) says getting an extra dose within the next few months would offer the best protection for a summer peak.

• Is the vaccine the same as the one offered in the fall and winter?

The spring vaccine is the same as the fall and winter vaccine. It targets just one strain, the recent variant of the omicron strain, call XBB.1.5.

• Where can I get a second COVID-19 vaccine?

Oneida County Health Department offers COVID-19 vaccine to those eligible. Appointments are strongly encouraged, but walk-ins are accepted. Vaccines are provided 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. To schedule an appointment, call 715-369-6111. For more information, about COVID-19 and other services at Oneida County Health Department, visit www.oneidacountypublichealth.org. If you have questions related to your health or if you should receive the vaccine, talking with your healthcare provider is recommended.