Vaccines for the Prevention of COVID-19 in Older Adults

Institutionalized and community-dwelling older adults have been greatly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic with increased morbidity and mortality. The advent of vaccines and their widespread use in this population has brought about a dramatic turnaround in COVID-19 outcomes. The immunogenicity and effectiveness of the various vaccine options worldwide will be discussed. Optimizing vaccine usage will remain crucial to maximize protection due to reduced initial immunity, the emergence of variant strains, and the waning of immunity over time. There are also lessons learned specific to older populations for future pandemics of novel pathogens where there is minimal to no prior immunity.