Omicron boosters are 84% effective at keeping seniors from being hospitalized with Covid, CDC says

The latest omicron boosters are 84% effective at keeping seniors 65 and older from being hospitalized with Covid-19, according to a study published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday.

Seniors who received the omicron booster had 73% more protection against hospitalization than those who only received two or more doses of the original vaccines that were not updated to target omicron, according to the CDC.

The study was conducted from September through November when omicron BA.5 and the even more immune evasive BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 variants were dominant. About 800 seniors with a median age of 76 were included in the analysis.

In a larger study that included more than 15,000 adults ages 18 and older, the omicron booster was 57% effective at preventing hospitalization. Adults who received the booster had 38% additional protection compared with people who only received the original shots.

Neither study examined how well people were protected against hospitalization if they were vaccinated and had natural immunity from a previous Covid infection.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.