Originally Published by the CDC
As people get older, their immune systems do not work as well. Older adults are also more likely to have underlying health conditions. Most deaths from respiratory viruses occur in people older than 65, with risk increasing sharply with advancing age.
Studies have shown that:
- Compared to people ages 18-39 years, people over age 75 are about 9 times as likely to die from COVID-19.
- Each year, it is estimated that 100,000-160,000 older adults in the United States are hospitalized due to RSV infection.
- In recent years, it’s estimated that between 70 percent and 85 percent of seasonal flu-related deaths in the United States have occurred among people 65 years and older, and between about 50 percent and 70 percent of seasonal flu-related hospitalizations have occurred among people in this age group.
- Over 95% of adults hospitalized in 2023-2024 due to COVID-19 had no record of receiving the latest vaccine.
Making a Plan
Immunizations
In addition to getting the 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine, there are some unique respiratory virus immunization recommendations for older adults:
- All adults should have a current flu vaccine, but adults aged 65 years or older are recommended to receive a high dose or adjuvanted flu vaccine (for example, Fluzone High-Dose Quadrivalent inactivated flu vaccine, Flublok Quadrivalent recombinant flu vaccine, or Fluad Quadrivalent adjuvanted inactivated flu vaccine).
- All adults age 75 and older and adults age 60-74 years who are at increased risk for severe RSV disease should receive a single dose of RSV vaccine.
>>CLICK HERE to Read the Full Article on CDC.gov
