Since early 2020, people around the world have been coping with COVID-19, the disease caused by the highly infectious SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes mild to severe respiratory illness. Cases of COVID-19 can be mild, but others can be more severe and even deadly—especially for older adults or those living with chronic health conditions.
As of September 2022, the FDA has fully authorized the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines. The FDA has provided emergency use authorization for the Novavax and Johnson & Johnson/Janssen (J&J) vaccines.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) strongly recommends being up to date on your vaccines. You are up to date when you have had your primary vaccination series and an updated bivalent COVID-19 vaccine booster shot for all adults 65 years and older. Being up to date on your vaccines will protect you against symptomatic infection and severe disease from COVID-19.
If you feel like the news you read about the COVID-19 vaccination seems to change daily, you’re not alone. That’s why we've asked health professionals, scientists, and researchers from the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) to help us better understand the science behind the vaccines and how they can help protect us from severe COVID-19. Check out these resources and share them with others to help answer any questions you, your friends, your family or your community may have.
