Dear Doctor: CDC recommends ages 65+ get an additional COVID vaccine this spring. Is that necessary? – OregonLive

DEAR DR. ROACH, I just read an article stating that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now recommending that seniors 65 and up get an additional COVID vaccine. The article says that the current version is highly effective. I got my last Moderna vaccine in October 2023. Should I get another? -- J.L.I.

ANSWER: The downside of another COVID vaccine is small for the vast majority of people. The benefit is that they can increase their protection against COVID, especially severe COVID, which is the kind that puts people in the hospital.

I strongly recommend another vaccine this spring for those at a high risk, including those who are over 65 with additional risk factors like diabetes, heart, or lung disease, and those who live in a nursing home. The benefit for 65-year-olds who have been fully vaccinated so far and are otherwise healthy is small. People who are considerably older -- in their 80s or more -- would also benefit from an additional vaccine this spring, even if they are otherwise healthy.

The data are becoming clear that an annual vaccine for COVID-19 is effective. While it isnt yet proven, it may be that higher-risk people can benefit from getting vaccines twice a year. In my opinion, those at a very high risk, such as the people I mention above and people with immune system disorders, should take an extra vaccine now.

DEAR DR. ROACH: Would you recommend the most reliable literature source(s) for vitamin and supplement information and interactions? For instance, health magazines give these examples of supplement information:

-- J.L.

ANSWER: The problem with health magazines is that reliable information can be interspersed with information that isnt so reliable. Sometimes a claim is hopeful and based on experimental or animal data; sometimes it is demonstrably false, either by error or to sell an advertisers supplements. For the examples you mention above, vitamin D (D2 or D3) improves absorption of calcium and magnesium, but this doesnt mean that you need them. I dont recommend them unless theyre prescribed.

Piperine absolutely increases the absorption of curcumin, which is the most active ingredient in turmeric. This increases both effectiveness and toxicity. Zinc and iron compete for absorption, so they should not be taken at the same time; if you are deficient, they should be separated. However, neither pine bark nor L-arginine had a benefit on coronary disease in clinical trials.

The first literature source that I recommend is MedlinePlus.gov, which is curated by the National Library of Medicine. It is also part of the National Institutes of Health. Most of the answers above can be found there. Some large institutions, like Johns Hopkins and the Mayo Clinic, have highly reliable information about many medical subjects.

Your local pharmacist is another source, as is your own physician, but some questions require either special expertise or the time and ability to look up the answers.

Dr. Roach regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but will incorporate them in the column whenever possible. Readers may email questions to ToYourGoodHealth@med.cornell.edu or send mail to 628 Virginia Dr., Orlando, FL 32803.

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Dear Doctor: CDC recommends ages 65+ get an additional COVID vaccine this spring. Is that necessary? - OregonLive