Many Older Adults Ready for Second Dose of COVID Vaccine

(March 10, 2025) Older adults and individuals who are moderately or severely immunocompromised are due for a second dose of the 2024-25 COVID vaccine if they received their first dose six months ago, according to guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Older adults who received their 2024-25 COVID vaccine in September or October are encouraged to obtain a second dose.

The minimum time between 2024-25 COVID vaccine doses is two months, which allows flexibility to receive the second dose prior to typical COVID surges, travel, life events, and health care visits. There are exceptions to the generally recommended timing of the two-dose regimen; in particular, exceptions related to the dosing schedule of the Novavax vaccine are detailed in the CDC guidance. 

Adult care facilities and nursing homes are required by regulation to educate residents and staff about the COVID vaccine and either offer the vaccine or assist them with accessing it. In addition, nursing homes are required to report the "up-to-date" status of their residents and health care personnel via the CDC's National Healthcare Safety Network platform. As of the first calendar quarter of 2025, the definition of "up-to-date" has been revised to indicate that "individuals aged 65 years and older are Up to Date when they have received 2 doses of the 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine or received 1 dose of the 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine in the past 6 months." Given the interaction between the definition of "up-to-date" and the fall 2024 release of the 2024-25 COVID vaccine, nursing homes may see their numbers of residents and staff in the "up-to-date" category decline until there is significant uptake of the second dose.

Contact: Karen Lipson, klipson@leadingageny.org