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New study finds COVID-19 boosters every 6 months save lives in older adults
COVID-19 continues to be a serious health risk for older people. A large Australian study looked at how well the latest XBB.1.5 COVID-19 booster protected people aged 65 years and older from dying of the virus between August 2023 and February 2024. More than 4 million older Australians were included in the research.
The study found that people who had received a recent XBB.1.5 booster in the past three months were much less likely to die from COVID-19 compared to those who had not had a booster for over a year. The booster reduced the risk of death by about 75%. Other types of boosters also helped, but were less effective. The protection was strongest soon after vaccination and declined over time.
These results show that keeping boosters up to date is very important for older adults, especially those in aged care. The findings support the advice that people aged 65 years and older should receive a COVID-19 booster every six months to maintain the best protection against severe illness and death.