CDC: People over 65 can get second COVID shot six months after initial vaccine

People over the age of 65 or with certain medical conditions can now get a second dose of the latest COVID-19 vaccine six months after their first shot, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced this week.

The recommendation covers the 2024-25 COVID-19 vaccine that first became available at the end of August.

Experts have maintained that older people and those with compromised immune systems are more at risk of developing severe COVID-19 infections. The CDC said more than 81% of COVID-19 deaths occur in people over 65.

Dr. Justin Chan, director of Infection Prevention and Control at Bellevue Hospital Center, called it an "important recommendation that will help save lives."

"While getting vaccinated does not guarantee you won’t get COVID-19 infection, it will significantly reduce your chance of having severe disease," Chan told Newsday in an email. "We also know that the immune protection from the COVID-19 vaccine diminishes over time, so getting an additional dose six months after the first dose will boost immunity in this vulnerable group, and provide longer lasting protection."

Some medical conditions that put a person at higher risk of getting a severe case of COVID-19 include cancer, lung disease, diabetes, asthma and illness affecting the heart and liver.

The CDC recommendations said people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised can get a third or even a fourth dose if that is what they and their health provider agree is needed.

Interest in getting the COVID-19 vaccine has waned over the years. Last year, according to national data, only about 14% of children and 22.5% of adults reported receiving the updated 2023-24 COVID-19 vaccine.

So far this year, 4.8% of children and 13.5% of adults 18 and older reported being vaccinated since Aug. 27, according to the CDC.

New York State Health Department data shows that on Long Island, 11.7% of people between the ages of 65 and 74 and 16.5% of people 75 and older reported receiving the updated COVID-19 vaccine.

In other age groups, the number who got the updated vaccine was less than 5%.

Some experts hope this summer’s unusually active COVID-19 surge may convince more people to get vaccinated.

Dr. Geeta Sood, assistant professor in infectious diseases at Johns Hopkins University, said getting vaccinated can also reduce the chance of getting long COVID, a long-term condition that researchers are still trying to unravel.

"We are learning more about it, about the biology of what's happening and even learning a lot about how severe and how many complications you can get from a COVID infection, even if it's not an acute infection," Sood said.

By Lisa L. Colangelo

lisa.colangelo@newsday.com@lisalcolangelo

Lisa joined Newsday as a staff writer in 2019. She previously worked at amNewYork, the New York Daily News and the Asbury Park Press covering politics, government and general assignment.