DEAR DR. ROACH: I read that there is updated advice on who should get the COVID vaccine based on age and risk factors. How many Americans were hospitalized for COVID who did not have these latest qualifying risk factors?

— N.R.

ANSWER: Although the most recent update on the licensing of the COVID vaccines from the Food and Drug Adminstration did not specify which conditions qualify a person for the vaccine, the Centers for Disease Control have maintained a list of high-risk conditions:

This includes being over 65 years old, having heart or lung disease, being obese, having neurological or developmental conditions, and having an immune deficiency. (The entire detailed list can be found here: CDC.gov/COVID/hcp/clinical-care/underlying-conditions.html.) The FDA has estimated that between one-third and two-thirds of Americans will have access to the vaccines.

To answer your question, approximately 90% of people who are hospitalized with COVID (about 40,000 people in the most recent six months) meet one of these qualifying conditions. Critically, 88% of those who were hospitalized were not up-to-date with their vaccines.

Based on this information, it is of high importance for people who meet any of the extensive list of qualifying conditions to get a COVID vaccine. Getting the vaccine directly from your doctor is a good option, while some people may need to bring a prescription to their pharmacy. The new policies are not clear.

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a healthy 65-year-old female with low blood pressure. I weigh 123 pounds, and I’m 5 feet, 6 inches tall. I have good cholesterol and don’t have diabetes.

My question is, are supplements necessary to maintain good health? I spend a small fortune on various supplements (too many to mention), and I’m kind of tired of it. I feel that the supplements help me stay healthy, but I wonder if I’m being duped by advertising.

I eat a very healthy diet with lots of vegetables, fruits, homemade bone broth, organ meats, fish, and some red meat. I don’t eat sugar. Can you help me quit supplements please?

— P.

ANSWER: Since it seems like your goal is mostly to prevent diseases, I can confirm that the data are very poor regarding healthy people who benefit from supplements. Supplements can be a good alternative to medication to treat symptomatic conditions, but the existing studies show a lack of benefit from vitamins and minerals to prevent problems from occurring in the future Among the most commonly used supplements are marketed for this purpose. Marketing for supplements is very effective, but if you look carefully, they will all say: “This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.”