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5h ago

NEJM Study Finds 2024–25 COVID Boosters Cut Severe Illness and Death in U.S. Veterans

The findings show the strongest benefit in older or medically vulnerable adults, reinforcing CDC guidance to prioritize those groups.

A nurse fills up syringes with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines in Waterford, Michigan, U.S., April 8, 2022. REUTERS/Emily Elconin
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A patient is bandaged after a Covid-19 vaccine at Boston Medical Center, in Boston, on June 17, 2021.

Overview

  • Researchers analyzed nearly 300,000 VA patients, comparing 164,132 who received a 2024–2025 mRNA booster plus a flu shot with 131,839 who received only the flu vaccine.
  • Over six months, COVID vaccination was linked to 29% fewer emergency visits, 39% fewer hospitalizations, and 64% fewer deaths versus flu-only recipients.
  • Effectiveness was observed across ages but was greater in higher-risk groups, with about 27% overall protection for adults under 65 versus close to 40% for those 65 and older.
  • Absolute impacts were modest in a lower-severity era, averting an estimated 18 emergency visits, 7 hospitalizations, and 2 deaths per 10,000 vaccinated people.
  • Protection waned modestly over the follow-up and the observational design cannot prove causation, yet the results align with CDC policy that emphasizes boosters for seniors and people with underlying conditions.