A new report published in the Journal of Infection strengthens the case for high-dose flu vaccines for older adults. The authors say that the high-dose vaccines reduced the rate of pneumonia- and influenza-related (P&I) hospitalizations in the 65 and older population. No difference was found in the death rate for older people who received high-dose versus standard-dose flu shots, however.

The high-dose flu shot has four times the hemagglutinin as the standard dose, triggering a higher antibody response and reducing the incidence of the flu in multiple studies. In the current study, the authors estimated there was a 23.5% reduction in P&I hospitalizations and a 7.3% in overall admissions among those older adults who received the high-dose vaccine.

According to the study authors, “Our findings were consistent across most subgroups and in sensitivity analyses” and are supported by evidence from several randomized studies.

Elsewhere, research published in Vaccine found that repeated vaccination does not significantly weaken the protective effect of the influenza vaccine among older adults.