Question:
What influenza vaccines are recommended for adults 65 years of age and older?
Answer:
For the 2023-24 influenza season, there are two enhanced influenza vaccines that are recommended for adults 65 years of age and older: FLUZONE® HIGH-DOSE QUADRIVALENT vaccine and FLUAD® adjuvanted vaccine.
- The FLUZONE® HIGH-DOSE QUADRIVALENT vaccine is publicly funded (free) for adults 65 years of age and older who are residents of long-term care, assisted living or First Nations communities. This vaccine contains a higher dose of antigen to help create a stronger immune response.
- The FLUAD® vaccine is publicly funded for all other adults 65 years of age and older. This vaccine is a trivalent influenza vaccine and contains an adjuvant that helps create a stronger immune response.
Adults 65 years and older are at increased risk for severe illness, hospitalization, and death from influenza compared with younger populations and studies suggest that, in this age group, these two enhanced vaccines are potentially more effective than the standard dose unadjuvanted influenza vaccines.
Either of these enhanced influenza vaccines are recommended for this age group. There is not enough evidence to show that one of these vaccines is better than the other.
Date last reviewed:
Thursday, Aug 24, 2023