"Assessing the Impact of Updated COVID-19 Boosters on Hospitalization and Emergency Care"

A study published in Nature Communications by researchers at Stanford Medicine used a simulation model to predict the frequency of COVID-19 vaccination that best prevents severe disease in different U.S. populations. The model suggests that older individuals and those who are immunocompromised benefit more from frequent boosters—at least annually—while the benefit for younger, healthier populations is more modest. The findings support current CDC recommendations and suggest that public health strategies should focus on high-risk populations to increase booster uptake. The model also considered factors such as novel variants, transmission, and prior COVID-19 infection, and the researchers plan to update the model with new data as it becomes available.