Health
Many Older People Embrace Vaccines. Research Is Proving Them Right.
Kim Beckham, an insurance agent in Victoria, Texas, had seen friends suffer so badly from shingles that she wanted to receive the first approved shingles vaccine as soon as it became available, even if she had to pay for it out of pocket.
Her doctor and several pharmacies turned her down because she was below the recommended age at the time, which was 60. So in 2016, she celebrated her 60th birthday at her local CVS.
“I was there when they opened,” Ms. Beckham recalled. After her Zostavax shot, she said, “I felt really relieved.” She has since received the newer, more effective shingles vaccine, as well as the pneumonia shot, the R.S.V. vaccine, annual flu shots and all recommended Covid vaccinations.
Some older people are really eager to be vaccinated.
Robin Wolaner, 71, a retired publisher in Sausalito, Calif., has been known to badger friends who delay getting recommended shots, sending them relevant medical studies. “I’m sort of hectoring,” she acknowledged.
Deana Hendrickson, 66, who provides daily care for three young grandsons in Los Angeles, sought an additional M.M.R. shot, though she was vaccinated as a child, in case her immunity to measles was waning.
For older adults who express more confidence in vaccine safety than younger groups, the past few months have brought some welcome research. Studies have found important benefits from a newer vaccine and enhanced versions of older ones, and one vaccine may confer a major bonus that nobody had foreseen.
The new studies are coming at a fraught political moment. The nation’s health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has long disparaged certain vaccines, calling them unsafe and saying that the government officials who regulate them are compromised and corrupt.
This week, the secretary fired a panel of scientific advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, replacing them with some who have been skeptical of vaccines. But so far, Mr. Kennedy has not tried to curb access to the shots for older Americans.
The evidence that vaccines are beneficial remains overwhelming.
The phrase “Vaccines are not just for kids anymore” has become a favorite for Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
“The population over 65, which often suffers the worst impact of respiratory viruses and others, now has the benefit of vaccines that can prevent much of that serious illness,” he said.
Take influenza, which annually sends from 140,000 to 710,000 older people to hospitals and is fatal in 10 percent of them.
For about 15 years, the C.D.C. has approved several enhanced flu vaccines for people over 65. More effective than the standard formulation, they either contain higher levels of the antigen that builds protection against the virus or incorporate an adjuvant that creates a stronger immune response. Or they’re recombinant vaccines, developed through a different method, with higher antigen levels.
In a meta-analysis in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, “all the enhanced vaccine products were superior to the standard dose for preventing hospitalizations,” said Rebecca Morgan, a health research methodologist at Case Western Reserve University and an author of the study.
Compared with the standard flu shot, the enhanced vaccines reduced the risk of hospitalization from the flu by 11 to 18 percent in older adults. The C.D.C. advises adults over 65 to receive the enhanced vaccines, as many already do.
More good news: Vaccines to prevent respiratory syncytial virus (R.S.V.) in people over 60 are performing admirably.
R.S.V. is the most common cause of hospitalization for infants, and it also poses significant risks to older people. “Season in and season out,” Dr. Schaffner said, “it produces outbreaks of serious respiratory illness that rivals influenza.”
Because the Food and Drug Administration first approved an R.S.V. vaccine in 2023, the 2023-24 season provided “the first opportunity to see it in a real-world context,” said Dr. Pauline Terebuh, an epidemiologist at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine and an author of a recent study in the journal JAMA Network Open.
In analyzing electronic health records for almost 800,000 patients, the researchers found the vaccines to be 75 percent effective against acute infection, meaning illness that was serious enough to send a patient to a health care provider.
The vaccines were 75 percent effective in preventing emergency room or urgent care visits, and 75 percent effective against hospitalization, both among those aged 60 to 74 and those older.
Immunocompromised patients, despite having a somewhat lower level of protection from the vaccine, will also benefit from it, Dr. Terebuh said. As for adverse effects, the study found a very low risk for Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare condition that causes muscle weakness and that typically follows an infection, in about 11 cases per one million doses of vaccine. That, she said, “shouldn’t dissuade people.”
The C.D.C. now recommends R.S.V. vaccination for people 75 and older, and for those 60 to 74 if they’re at higher risk of severe illness (from heart disease, say).
As data from the 2024-25 season becomes available, researchers hope to determine if the vaccine will remain a one-and-done, or whether immunity will require repeated vaccination.
People over 65 express the greatest confidence in vaccine safety of any adult group, a KFF survey found in April. More than 80 percent said they were “very “or “somewhat confident” about M.M.R., shingles, pneumonia and flu shots.
Although the Covid vaccine drew lower support among all adults, more than two-thirds of older adults expressed confidence in its safety.
Even skeptics might become excited about one possible benefit of the shingles vaccine: This spring, Stanford researchers reported that over seven years, vaccination against shingles reduced the risk of dementia by 20 percent, a finding that made headlines.
Biases often undermine observational studies that compare vaccinated with unvaccinated groups. “People who are healthier and more health-motivated are the ones who get vaccinated,” said Dr. Pascal Geldsetzer, an epidemiologist at the Knight Initiative for Brain Resilience at Stanford and lead author of the study.
“It’s hard to know whether this is cause and effect,” he said, “or whether they’re less likely to develop dementia anyway.”
So the Stanford team took advantage of a “natural experiment” when the first shingles vaccine, Zostavax, was introduced in Wales. Health officials set a strict age cutoff: People who turned 80 on or before Sept. 1, 2013, weren’t eligible for vaccination, but those even slightly younger were eligible.
In the sample of nearly 300,000 adults whose birthdays fell close to either side of that date, almost half of the eligible group received the vaccine, but virtually nobody in the older group did.
“Just as in a randomized trial, these comparison groups should be similar in every way,” Dr. Geldsetzer explained. A substantial reduction in dementia diagnoses in the vaccine-eligible group, with a much stronger protective effect in women, therefore constitutes “more powerful and convincing evidence,” he said.
The team also found reduced rates of dementia after shingles vaccine was introduced in Australia and other countries. “We keep seeing this in one data set after another,” Dr. Geldsetzer said.
In the United States, where a more potent vaccine, Shingrix, became available in 2017 and supplanted Zostavax, Oxford investigators found an even stronger effect.
By matching almost 104,000 older Americans who received a first dose of the new vaccine (full immunization requires two) with a group that had received the earlier formulation, they found delayed onset of dementia in the Shingrix group.
How a shingles vaccine might reduce dementia remains unexplained. Scientists have suggested that viruses themselves may contribute to dementia, so suppressing them could protect the brain. Perhaps the vaccine revs up the immune system in general or affects inflammation.
“I don’t think anybody knows,” said Dr. Paul Harrison, a psychiatrist at Oxford and a senior author of the study. But, he added, “I’m now convinced there’s something real here.”
Shingrix, now recommended for adults over 50, is 90 percent effective in preventing shingles and the lingering nerve pain that can result. In 2021, however, only 41 percent of older Americans had received one dose of either shingles vaccine.
A connection to dementia will require further research, and Dr. Geldsetzer is trying to raise philanthropic funding for a clinical trial.
And “if you needed another reason to get this vaccine,” Dr. Schaffner said, “here it is.”
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South Carolina is facing a major measles outbreak, resulting in the quarantine of hundreds of residents.
The South Carolina Department of Health (DPH) reported in a media briefing on Wednesday that the current number of measles cases has reached 111 as part of the current Spartanburg County outbreak.
DPH first reported a measles outbreak in the Upstate region on Oct. 2.
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The health department confirmed that 254 people are currently in quarantine and 16 are in isolation to prevent further spread.
The health department confirmed that 254 people are currently in quarantine in the upstate region. (Getty Images)
“This significant jump in cases is unfortunate,” a DPH spokesperson commented on the outbreak.
Public exposure was identified at Inman Intermediate School, with 43 of their students in quarantine.
“This significant jump in cases is unfortunate.”
Eight other intermediate and middle schools in the area are also reportedly undergoing quarantine. The DPH said multiple students have had to quarantine twice due to repeat exposure.
“Vaccination continues to be the best way to prevent the disruption that measles is causing to people’s education, to employment and other factors in people’s lives and our communities,” the spokesperson said.
“This significant jump in cases is unfortunate,” a DPH spokesperson commented on the current outbreak. (iStock)
Out of the 111 confirmed cases, 105 were unvaccinated. Receiving a vaccination within 72 hours has been shown to prevent measles infection, the DPH spokesperson noted.
Some cases are related to travel exposure, while others are from an unknown source, suggesting that measles is circulating in the community, the DPH noted.
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Connecticut has also reported its first measles case in four years, according to the Connecticut Department of Public Health.
The department confirmed on Thursday that an unvaccinated child in Fairfield County, under the age of 10, was diagnosed with measles after recently traveling internationally.
“Vaccination continues to be the best way to prevent the disruption that measles is causing,” a DPH spokesperson said. (iStock)
The child began to show symptoms several days later, including a runny nose, cough, congestion, fever and a rash starting at the head and spreading to the rest of the body.
The Connecticut DPH noted that measles is “highly contagious” and can spread quickly through the air via coughing or sneezing. The CDC has estimated that nine out of 10 unvaccinated individuals who encounter an infected person will develop the measles virus.
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According to the International Vaccine Access Center, more than 1,800 cases of measles have been reported in 2025, which is the most since the U.S. declared the virus eliminated in 2000. It is also the most cases recorded in three decades.
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“The single best way to protect your children and yourself from measles is to be vaccinated,” DPH Commissioner Manisha Juthani, M.D., wrote in a statement. “One dose of measles vaccine is about 93% effective, while two doses are about 97% effective.”
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A sperm donor whose samples helped conceive nearly 200 children across Europe unknowingly carried a cancer-causing genetic mutation — a hidden risk now tied to multiple childhood illnesses and early deaths.
An investigation led by the BBC and many other public service broadcasters revealed that the donations were made to Denmark’s European Sperm Bank (ESB). Those donations were then used by 67 fertility clinics in 14 countries over a 17-year span.
The donor, who was not identified, was paid to donate as a student beginning in 2005, according to the report.
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Although the donor passed the initial health screenings, he had hidden genetic mutations that damaged the TP53 gene, which helps to prevent cancer by repairing DNA damage or trigger the death of cancer cells.
When TP53 is mutated, those protective functions are lost, which can lead to uncontrolled cell division, accumulation of mutations and tumor growth, research has shown.
A sperm donor whose samples helped conceive nearly 200 children across Europe (not pictured) unknowingly carried a cancer-causing genetic mutation — a hidden risk now tied to multiple childhood illnesses and early deaths. (Getty Images)
Up to 20% of the man’s sperm would contain that mutated gene, and any children conceived from that affected sperm would have the mutation in every cell of their body, the BBC report stated.
As a result, these children would have a 90% risk of developing some type of cancer in their lifetime, including breast cancer, bone cancers, brain tumors and leukemia. This heightened risk is known as Li Fraumeni syndrome.
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Doctors raised these concerns at the annual congress of the European Society of Human Genetics (ESHG), which was held in Milan in May 2025.
At that conference, Edwige Kasper — a specialist in cancer genetics at Rouen University Hospital in France — presented the case of the sperm donor whose genetic material carried the harmful variant.
“This is the abnormal dissemination of genetic disease. Not every man has 75 children across Europe.”
It was reported that 23 children had been confirmed to have the variant at that time, 10 of which had already been diagnosed with cancer.
The actual number is likely much higher, the report surmised, as at least 197 children were born from the donated sperm — but not all data has been collected.
Kasper called for a limit on the number of births or families for a single donor in Europe.
“We can’t do whole-genome sequencing for all sperm donors — I’m not arguing for that,” she said. “But this is the abnormal dissemination of genetic disease. Not every man has 75 children across Europe.”
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She also recommended that children born from this donor’s sperm undergo genetic counseling.
“We have some children that have already developed two different cancers, and some of them have already died at a very early age,” Kasper recently told the investigators.
Up to 20% of the man’s sperm would contain that mutated gene, and any children conceived from that affected sperm would have the mutation in every cell of their body, the BBC report stated. (iStock)
There is no worldwide law that limits how many times a donor’s sperm can be used or how many children may be born from a single donor, according to the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE).
However, individual countries may have their own rules or guidelines surrounding sperm donor usage. The ESHRE recently proposed a cap of 50 families per donor as an international limit.
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Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst, commented on these developments to Fox News Digital.
“This awful story emphasizes the growing need for up-to-date genetic screening for all donors,” he said. “It also provides context for the idea that knowing the donor provides an advantage.”
“This awful story emphasizes the growing need for up-to-date genetic screening for all donors,” Dr. Marc Siegel said. (iStock)
“Genetic screening, including for oncogenes (genes that have the potential to cause cancer) is improving dramatically, and all use of sperm donations must include it,” Siegel went on.
He also called for AI to be used to improve and speed up the process.
“When a propensity for disease is suspected, the sperm must be discarded,” the doctor added.
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In a statement sent to Fox News Digital, the European Sperm Bank expressed “deepest sympathy” for the families involved.
“We are deeply affected by the case and the impact that the rare TP53 mutation has on a number of families, children and the donor. They have our deepest sympathy,” the ESP said.
The American Society of Reproductive Medicine provided its guidance on embryo and gamete donation, which stated in part that all prospective donors should undergo “appropriate genetic evaluation.” (iStock)
“ESB tests and performs an individual medical assessment of all donors in full compliance with recognized and scientific practice and legislation.”
In the case of this particular sperm donor with the TP53 mutation, the ESB noted that it occurs only in a small part of the donor’s sperm cells and not in the rest of the body.
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“In such cases, the donor himself and his family members are not ill, and a mutation of this type is not detected preventively by genetic screening,” the agency said.
When the ESB later confirmed the mutation in 2023, the donor was “immediately blocked” and authorities and clinics were notified.
“Donors should be healthy and have no history to suggest hereditary disease.”
“The clinics are responsible for informing the patients, partly because we as a sperm bank do not necessarily know the patients, and because the patients’ own treating physicians are best equipped to advise them in the specific situation,” the agency stated.
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When contacted by Fox News Digital, the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) provided its guidance on embryo and gamete donation, which stated in part that all prospective donors should undergo “appropriate genetic evaluation.”
“Donors should be healthy and have no history to suggest hereditary disease,” the ASRM continued.
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Parents with concerns are encouraged to contact both their treating clinic and the relevant fertility authority in that country.
GLP-1 weight loss pill in development
Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel discusses advancements in weight loss drugs, safety concerns surrounding nicotine patches and his interview with FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary on vaccine protocol.
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Scientists in Sweden have created a new pill designed to help the body burn fat and control blood sugar in a different way than popular GLP-1 drugs, like Ozempic.
While injectable GLP-1s work by suppressing appetite, this new treatment boosts metabolism in the muscles.
A study led by researchers at Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University included both an early animal study and a human clinical trial with 48 healthy adults and 25 people with type 2 diabetes, according to a press release.
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The new oral medication was found to successfully control blood glucose, boost fat burning and retain muscle mass in animals, while getting high marks for tolerability and safety in humans.
It was also found to have fewer side effects than GLP-1s like semaglutides and tirzepatides, which are known to cause appetite loss, gastrointestinal distress and muscle wasting, the researchers noted.
While injectable GLP-1s work by suppressing appetite, this new treatment boosts metabolism in the muscles. (iStock)
The experimental medication uses a new form of beta-2 agonist that benefits muscle function while also avoiding overstimulation of the heart, which has been identified as a potential safety concern of older versions.
The findings were published this week in the journal Cell.
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Because the new oral drug acts via a different mechanism than appetite-suppressing medications, it could be used alone or in combination with GLP-1s, the researchers noted.
“Our results point to a future where we can improve metabolic health without losing muscle mass,” said Tore Bengtsson, professor at the Department of Molecular Bioscience at Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, in the release. “Muscles are important in both type 2 diabetes and obesity, and muscle mass is also directly correlated with life expectancy.”
“Muscles are important in both type 2 diabetes and obesity, and muscle mass is also directly correlated with life expectancy.” (iStock)
This medication has the potential to be of “great importance” for patients with type 2 diabetes and obesity, according to Shane C. Wright, assistant professor at the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology at Karolinska Institutet.
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“Our substance appears to promote healthy weight loss and, in addition, patients do not have to take injections,” he added.
Dr. Trey Wickham, interim chief of the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism at VCU Health in Richmond, Virginia, was not involved in the study but shared his reaction to the publication in the journal Cell.
“Our results point to a future where we can improve metabolic health without losing muscle mass.”
“This compound’s mechanism of action could address some specific metabolic concerns with previous weight reduction therapies, such as the loss of both muscle and fat tissue,” Wickham told Fox News Digital.
“Although the reported preliminary results are interesting, rigorous testing involving larger longitudinal trials are necessary to ensure human long-term safety and understand the potential role of this compound in the comprehensive, evidence-based treatment of obesity and diabetes.”
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The study had some limitations, the researchers noted, chiefly that the preclinical studies in mice fail to capture the “complex nature of these diseases” in humans.
Structural studies are needed to understand exactly how the drug works.
“This compound’s mechanism of action could address some specific metabolic concerns with previous weight reduction therapies, such as the loss of both muscle and fat tissue,” a doctor said. (iStock)
“Our phase 1 data show that compound 15 is well-tolerated; however, conclusive clinical efficacy data (on how the drug controls glucose metabolism) are currently still lacking.”
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Looking ahead, the company that developed the drug, Atrogi AB, plans to conduct a larger phase 2 clinical trial with a larger, more diverse population, including people with obesity.
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The study was supported in part by the Swedish Research Council, the Swedish Society for Medical Research and the Novo Nordisk Foundation.
Uppsala University, University of Copenhagen, Monash University and University of Queensland all collaborated with the lead researchers.
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