Additional COVID-19 Booster Recommended for People 50 and Older

CLEVELAND – People who are 50 and older are now eligible for a fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

Kimberly Giuliano, MD, is the physician lead for COVID-19 vaccine operations at Cleveland Clinic. She said the booster is designed to increase antibody response that may have waned over time.

“Largely the goal here is to prevent serious cases, to prevent hospitalization and to prevent deaths,” she explained. “We’ve seen that some individuals, despite being vaccinated and boosted, are still at risk for transmission or getting infected with the disease. Our hope is that we can help to keep them as healthy as possible.”

This week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized additional COVID-19 booster shots.

The authorization includes Pfizer and Moderna and makes adults 50 and older eligible for another vaccine dose. It also allows people 12 and up, who are immunocompromised, to receive another booster.

Vaccine effectiveness wanes over time and evidence suggests older people and those who are immunocompromised can benefit from a boost.

With COVID-19 cases still relatively low and Omicron’s BA.2 variant looming, Dr. Giuliano said it’s a good time to get boosted.

“It’s best to think about vaccines in terms of prevention instead of waiting for a massive wave of cases to get here, especially for these individuals that we’re mentioning here who are at the highest risk of complications from COVID infections,” said Dr. Giuliano.

The FDA plans to meet next week to review data on whether an additional booster will be recommended for people under age 50.