Data on Vaccination

Studies have revealed that influenza vaccination prevents medical visits and hospitalizations.4

  • For example, during the 2022–2023 influenza season in the United States, adults 65 years and older who were vaccinated were 40%–52% less likely to visit a healthcare provider due to influenza A viruses and 69% less likely to visit a healthcare provider due to influenza B viruses.4
  • Flu vaccines offered significant protection against influenza hospitalizations in the United States, including among adults. During the 2022–2023 season, it reduced influenza hospitalizations by 41%–44%% among all adults and by 42% among adults ≥65 years of age (influenza A and B viruses).4
  • Flu vaccines have also been shown to prevent major cardiovascular events, including acute myocardial infarction, especially in people with cardiovascular disease or who have had a prior stroke.5

FDA APPROVED INFLUENZA VACCINES IN THE UNITED STATES, 2024–2025 INFLUENZA SEASON6

Certain influenza vaccines are preferred by the CDC for adults age 65 years and older. If one of these vaccines is not available at the time of administration, people in this age group should get a standard-dose flu vaccine instead. All influenza vaccines for the 2024–2025 season are trivalent vaccines.

TRADE NAME

MANUFACTURER

AGE RANGE

Afluria®

CSL Seqirus

6 months and older

Fluad®*

CSL Seqirus

65 years and older

Fluarix®

GlaxoSmithKline

6 months and older

Flublok®*

Sanofi

18 years and older

Flucelvax®

CSL Seqirus

6 months and older

FluLaval®

GlaxoSmithKline

6 months and older

FluMist®

AstraZeneca

2 through 49 years

Fluzone®* High-Dose

Sanofi

65 years and older

Fluzone®

Sanofi

6 months and older

*These vaccines are preferred for people age 65 years and older. If none of these vaccines is available at an opportunity for vaccine administration, the CDC recommends giving any other age-appropriate influenza vaccine.

HOW INFLUENZA VACCINES WORK

About 2 weeks after influenza vaccination, antibodies develop in the body. These antibodies decrease the risk of illness from influenza viruses that are similar to those covered by each year’s influenza vaccines.1

Seasonal flu vaccines are selected each year to protect against the influenza viruses that surveillance indicates are most likely to be circulating in the upcoming flu season.1

Trivalent vaccines are made to protect against 3 flu viruses: 2 types of influenza A viruses (H1N1 and H3N2) and 1 type of influenza B virus.1

Preventing influenza helps reduce the potential loss of function in older adults. Sadly, approximately 19.8% of older adults hospitalized with influenza had significant decreases in functional abilities, and 9.9% experienced catastrophic disability, which is defined as a loss of independence of 3 or more basic activities of daily living (personal care and hygiene, mobility, and being able to get in and out of bed or up from a chair or sofa, toileting, bathing, and feeding).7

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends that all people 6 months of age and older, with rare exception, receive an annual flu vaccine.1

The best time to vaccinate older adults against influenza is September and October. However, vaccination should continue after October for those not already vaccinated.1

Most adults, especially those age 65 years and older, should generally not get vaccinated early (in July or August) because protection may decrease over time. However, early vaccination can be considered for any person who is unable to return at a later time to be vaccinated.1

The CDC preferentially recommends the use of higher-dose and adjuvanted flu vaccines for adults 65 years and older. If none of the preferred products is available, any other age-appropriate vaccine should be used, as per the ACIP recommendations.1



CLICK HERE for the latest ACIP recommendations on seasonal influenza vaccines

EVIDENCE-BASED RESOURCES

From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

From Immunize.org

From the Literature

Immunize.org and CSL Seqirus are not responsible for content found at external links.

1. Key facts about flu vaccines. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accessed September 20, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/keyfacts.htm 2. Lu PJ, O’Halloran A, Ding H, Greby SM, Williams WW. Current status and uptake of influenza vaccination over time among senior adults in the United States. Hum Vaccin Immunother. 2015;11(12):2849-2851. doi:10.1080/21645515.2015.1075108 3. Flu vaccination coverage, United States, 2020–2021 influenza season. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accessed September 20, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/fluvaxview/coverage-by-season/2020-2021.html?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/flu/fluvaxview/coverage-2021estimates.htm 4. This season’s flu vaccines reduced flu medical visits and hospitalizations across all ages. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accessed September 20, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/spotlights/2023-2024/vaccines-reduce-medical-visits.htm 5. Flu & people with heart disease or history of stroke. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accessed September 20, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/highrisk/heartdisease.htm 6. Influenza vaccine products for the 2024–2025 influenza season. Immunize.org. Accessed September 20, 2024. https://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4072.pdf 7. Andrew MK, MacDonald S, Godin J, et al. Persistent functional decline following hospitalization with influenza or acute respiratory illness. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2021;69(3):696-703. doi:10.1111/jgs.16950

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