Paxlovid May Not Significantly Benefit Vaccinated Seniors [Video]

Most of us are pretty adept by now at managing COVID-19, with an armor of past infections, vaccinations, self-tests, and antiviral medications like Paxlovid.

In the latest study, however, researchers report that taking Paxlovid may not provide as much benefit as doctors originally thought—particularly for older people who are vaccinated.

In a research letter published in JAMA on Feb. 20, Dr. John Mafi, associate professor of medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, and his colleagues used Canadian data to explore what happened when people took Paxlovid. A Canadian health policy in 2022 allowed prescriptions for Paxlovid only for symptomatic people around age 70 in order to reserve the medication for those who needed it most. Older people are at higher risk of developing complications from COVID-19. The policy allowed the scientists to compare people in this age group who took Paxlovid to those who didn’t.

Among the …