The updated COVID-19 booster shots give adults ages 65 and older the greatest level of protection against hospitalization, according to new U.S. government data.
Bivalent boosters were 73% effective at preventing hospitalizations due to COVID in this group of older adults compared with people of the same age who got two or more doses of the original formulation of the vaccine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday. The reduced risk of hospitalization was smaller in younger adults, the agency said.
The findings add to research that shows the new booster shots have at least some benefit, although the magnitude seems to vary by a person’s age and how long they wait between doses.
More Must-Reads From TIME
- Column: Tyre Nichols' Killing Is The Result of a Diseased Culture
- Without Evusheld, Immunocompromised People Are on Their Own Against COVID-19
- Here Are All the Movies and TV Shows That Make Up the New DCU
- TikTok's 'De-Influencing' Trend Is Here to Tell You What Stuff You Don't Need to Buy
- Column: America Goes About Juvenile Crime Sentencing All Wrong
- Why Your Tax Refund May Be Lower This Year
- Brazil Wants to Abandon a 34,000-Ton Ship at Sea. It Would be an Environmental Disaster
- The 5 Best New TV Shows Our Critic Watched in January 2023
