Replies to post #431708 on Tornado Alley (PROG)

[blackhawks]

If you are not 65 or over your pharmacist may be right, if not.....

https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/qa_fluzone.htm

Who can receive Fluzone High-Dose Quadrivalent?

In the United States, Fluzone High-Dose Quadrivalent vaccine is approved only for people 65 years and older. Fluzone High-Dose Quadrivalent is not approved for people younger than 65 years or for people of any age with a history of severe allergic reaction to any influenza vaccine or to vaccine components other than eggs. Information about vaccine ingredients is located in the manufacturer’s package insert.

Are any of the available flu vaccines recommended over others?

Yes, for some people. For the 2022-2023 flu season, there are three flu vaccines that are preferentially recommended for people 65 years and older.

These are Fluzone High-Dose?Quadrivalent vaccine, Flublok Quadrivalent recombinant ?flu vaccine and Fluad Quadrivalent adjuvanted flu vaccine.

This recommendation was based on a review of available studies which suggests that, in this age group, these vaccines are potentially more effective than standard dose unadjuvanted flu vaccines. There is no preferential recommendation for people younger than 65 years.

What is the difference between Fluzone High-Dose Quadrivalent and Fluzone Quadrivalent?

Fluzone High-Dose Quadrivalent contains four times the antigen, the part of the vaccine that helps your body build up protection against flu viruses, than Fluzone Quadrivalent and other standard-dose inactivated flu vaccines. The higher dose of antigen in the vaccine is intended to give people 65 years and older a better immune response to vaccination, and therefore, better protection against flu. Both Fluzone High-Dose and Fluzone Quadrivalent (standard dose) are produced by the same manufacturer and are quadrivalent vaccines. There are a number of other flu vaccines produced by other manufacturers.

Are there benefits of Fluzone High-Dose Quadrivalent compared to standard dose seasonal flu vaccines for adults 65 years and older?

Data from immunogenicity studies comparing Fluzone (a trivalent standard dose vaccine) to Fluzone High-Dose (a previously available trivalent high-dose vaccine) among people 65 years and older indicated that a stronger immune response (i.e., higher antibody levels) occurred after vaccination with Fluzone High-Dose.

A randomized efficacy study published in the New England Journal of Medicine indicated that the trivalent high-dose vaccine was 24% more effective in preventing flu in adults 65 years and older relative to a standard-dose vaccine.