CDC advisers recommend lowering the age for RSV shots to 50-59 years
The CDC currently recommends the vaccine for adults age 75 and older and at-risk adults ages 60 to 74.
“What’s swaying me is there clearly are people in that 50 to 59 years age group, for example lung transplant patients, …that would clearly benefit from having access to this vaccine,” Jane Zucker, one of the voting members of the panel, said ahead of the vote.
If the recommendation is adopted by the CDC, it would make about 30% of U.S. adults in that age group eligible for the RSV vaccine, according to panelist Michael Melgar.
This chart simply does not show that. While the rates are going up for all age groups, they are still relatively low in the 40’s.
As to your surprise that it’s not as great magnitude of risk as your expectations…… I don’t really know what to say— if 400% greater risk seems low to you.
By the way, that’s why the age for recommended vaccination has been decreased all over the world over the past decades:
UK: 70+ in 2013 => 65+ in 2023 => 60+ in 2025 (progressively over the next few years)
US: 60+ in 2006 => 50+ in 2011
Canada: 60+ in 2008 => 50+ in 2018
Israel: 60+ before => 50+ in 2023
Of course, the government cares about cost. They only make a decision if it is cost-effective for them in the short-term. Shingrix is approved from age 50 but there are ongoing trials looking at the efficacy on younger healthy people:
Given the increase in incidence in younger people, the good results showing long-term efficacy, and the ongoing trials, it’s pretty sure that in a few years the shingles vaccine will be recommended from an even younger age all around the world (40yo?).
My parents seem to think I had a very mild case of chickenpox when I was young, though my recent Varicella Zoster IgG test came back negative, indicating no prior infection. Based on the information in this thread would it be wise to get both a chickenpox and shingles vaccine? Or is the shingles vaccine unnecessary?
Each person may have their own way of thinking of things. But if I were you, I’d first get the course of chickenpox vaccine, and then after 6 months or so, get the shingles course (shingrix).
The mix-and-match of different vaccines should result in a more robust immunity.
This is really interesting. Some part of the positive effect of these vaccines of dementia might be from preventing infections and resulting inflammation, but some part is from the adjuvant itself. This paper focuses on the impact of the adjuvant system itself. The question is: whereas for infection (recurrence) prevention earlier immunization would be better, for the benefit of the adjuvant system would earlier (e.g. age 40) be better, or is waiting until 50 or even 60 necessary for the benefit to appear? It depends on the mechanism of action, but it would be good to know.
A lot of vaccines let you get them early if you have certain conditions. Such as asthma, or one i read, a sedentary lifestyle. I have asthma and went this route before and I dont think they even had a way to check.
What are your thoughts on getting Smallpox vaccination? (The Monkeypox vaccine also gives you Smallpox).
It’s free for me in NZ (if I tell them I’m sexually promiscuous).
My thinking is - it provides protection against a Blackswan-type event… if Smallpox ever got back out in the wild (lab leak, bio terror, war etc), then any vaccine stockpiles would disappear very quickly. Smallpox has long incubation period, high R, so would spread like wildfire and a death rate of ~30%…
Arizona resident dies from the plague less than 24 hours after showing symptoms
A person has died from the plague in Northern Arizona, health officials confirmed Thursday.
The victim was rushed to Flagstaff Medical Center, showing severe symptoms, and died the same day. An autopsy revealed Yersinia pestis, the bacterium responsible for plague, was found. No further details about the patient or their identity have been revealed.
This case comes amid a recent prairie dog die-off northeast of Flagstaff, a classic red flag for plague activity since these rodents often carry infected fleas.
Coconino County officials are investigating an unknown number of prairie dog deaths linked to plague. They are working with a property owner to collect fleas for testing.
The plague remains rare in modern America, with the Centers for Disease Control reporting an average of seven human cases annually, the majority of which occur in rural areas of the Western U.S., including northern Arizona and parts of New Mexico and Colorado.
