High-dose flu shots protect seniors

A long-awaited study shows that a high-dose flu vaccine for seniors works better than the standard shot.

Standard flu vaccines are only about 30 to 40 percent effective in people 65 and older, who tend to have weaker immune systems. The new study suggests Sanofi’s Fluzone High-Dose vaccine boosts protection to about 50 percent.

The vaccine maker is scheduled to present preliminary results Thursday at a medical meeting in Atlanta.

The study was done during the past two flu seasons, and is the first to measure how much protection the new vaccine actually provides against the flu.

In younger adults, regular vaccines work better, with effectiveness of 60 percent or better. Flu vaccines are recommended for everyone except for babies under 6 months.