Medical organizations including the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Family Physicians, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the Infectious Diseases Society of America have posted vaccination guidelines for their patient populations. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has not updated its flu advice this year due to a court battle involving its independent advisory panel.

The CDC posted guidance online to follow last year's recommendations for flu and COVID-19 vaccines. Medical experts recommend that everyone starting at age 6 months receive a flu vaccination. Experts recommend getting vaccinated in October, as it takes two weeks for protection to develop.

The Food and Drug Administration approved Moderna's mFlusiva, an mRNA-based flu vaccine, for people ages 50 and older. The FDA has formally approved updated COVID-19 shots for people ages 65 and older or younger people with at least one health condition that increases risk.

"For more than 60 years, the United States has benefited from an established federal process for evaluating vaccine evidence and translating that science into recommendations for the American public. At the center of that process were the Centers for Disease Control and its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the ACIP," said Bruce Gellin, board chair of the Vaccine Integrity Project and professor of medicine at Georgetown University. He said: "Clinicians will still have patients to care for. Parents will still have decisions to make for their children, and older Americans, pregnant women and people with underlying health conditions will still need to know how best to protect themselves."

"Unfortunately today, the federal government is not fulfilling that responsibility in the way that it historically has. But the need for that work has not disappeared. Influenza, SARS-CoV-2 and the RSV viruses will circulate again this fall and winter," he said.

The American Academy of Family Physicians previously collaborated with the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices to issue joint vaccination guidelines. The organization now independently publishes recommendations following the ACIP's dismantlement by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in 2025. The American Academy of Family Physicians has historically aligned its vaccination guidelines with CDC recommendations, but in 2026, it issued independent guidance due to the CDC's advisory panel being disbanded by a federal court order.

"We cannot allow the breakdown of a federal process to create a vacuum in evidence-based vaccine guidance," Gellin said. He added that clinicians will still have patients to care for and parents will still have decisions to make for their children.

Dr. Sanjey Gupta, senior vice president and executive director of emergency medicine at Northwell Health, stated that the CDC has not published vaccine guidelines or official vaccine recommendations for the 2026-2027 season. The American Medical Association and the University of Minnesota’s Vaccine Integrity Project launched independent reviews of fall vaccines for flu, COVID-19, and RSV, which were published in September in the medical journal JAMA.

Flu season in the United States begins in October and extends through May, typically peaking between December and February. Seasonal influenza activity is low at the national level, but metrics are increasing in the West, with an increase in flu-related emergency department visits in King County, Washington since mid-August. Every year, flu causes hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations and tens of thousands of deaths in the U.S.

In South Carolina, an average of 250 people die annually from flu complications, including four pediatric deaths. The last two flu seasons resulted in unusually high numbers of child deaths, the majority of which occurred in unvaccinated children. Flu is particularly dangerous for people 65 and older, pregnant women, young children, and people of any age with chronic health problems such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease, or weak immune systems.

Flu vaccines decreased hospitalizations among older adults by 31% last year, according to the Vaccine Integrity Project. On average, flu vaccines reduce the risk of needing to see a doctor by 30% to 60%, said Sarah Nosal, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians. Three enhanced flu vaccines are designed to better protect seniors, and the American Academy of Family Physicians recommends seniors choose one if available.

"But do not delay your vaccination if that one’s not available," Sarah Nosal said. She said: "Vaccines are one of medicine’s greatest success stories. They prevent serious illness, reduce hospitalizations and long-term complications and save lives."

A study found Moderna's mFlusiva was 27% more effective against symptomatic illness among 50- to 64-year-olds than a standard flu shot. The nasal spray vaccine FluMist is an option for individuals ages 2 to 49 who meet specific health criteria. Common side effects for flu and COVID-19 vaccines include sore arms, fatigue, headaches, muscle aches, and mild fever. Side effects occurred somewhat more often with the new mFlusiva vaccine than with standard flu shots.

The American Academy of Family Physicians recommends all adults get a COVID-19 vaccination, especially seniors and those with other risk factors. Adults 65 and older should receive a fall COVID-19 dose and a second dose six months later. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a COVID-19 shot for all children ages 6 months to 23 months and for older children with high-risk conditions.

Last fall’s COVID-19 shots reduced the risk of hospitalization by 53% in seniors and reduced emergency room visits for very young children, according to the Vaccine Integrity Project. COVID-19 vaccine options include shots from Moderna, Pfizer, or the non-mRNA version from Novavax and Sanofi.

RSV can be severe or life-threatening for infants and older adults. The American Academy of Family Physicians recommends a one-time RSV vaccination for adults 75 and older, people 50 to 74 at increased risk, and younger people with weak immune systems. RSV vaccination is recommended during the third trimester of pregnancy, between weeks 32 and 36, to protect infants. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends pregnant individuals receive the maternal RSV vaccine Abrysvo from September 1 through March 1.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends RSV monoclonal antibody immunization for children younger than 8 months unless their mother received an RSV vaccination during pregnancy. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends RSV monoclonal antibody for children between 8 months and 19 months of age in certain high-risk groups. A single dose of RSV vaccine is recommended for adults with weakened immune systems.

"If the mother’s immunization status is unknown, that child should be immunized," said Andrew Racine, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Vaccines are available at most major pharmacies, pediatricians' offices, and clinics. Walgreens offers flu and COVID-19 shots for ages 3 and older without a prescription. Walgreens offers COVID-19 shots without a prescription in all states except Arizona and Oregon.

Medicare covers fall respiratory virus shots, and most private health insurers plan to continue coverage through 2027. Ordering through Vaccines for Children, a federal program providing routine immunizations at no cost to eligible children, has started. About half of U.S. children are eligible for the Vaccines for Children program.

Why It Matters

The absence of updated federal guidance creates uncertainty for clinicians and patients during a critical prevention window. As of January 2026, U.S. adult uptake of the 2025-2026 COVID-19 vaccine remained below target levels despite medical organizations' updated recommendations. The independent guidelines aim to maintain evidence-based standards while the legal dispute over the advisory panel continues.

"And really reassuringly, insurers have indicated to the major groups that they will cover these respiratory virus immunizations," Nosal said. She emphasized that vaccines prevent serious illness, reduce hospitalizations and long-term complications and save lives. "As federal guidance evolves, the science behind vaccines remains strong. These recommendations are grounded in the latest evidence, informed by public health experts and shaped by what family physicians are seeing every day in their patients," she said.

What's New

A study titled "The origin, transmission and clinical therapies on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak – an update on the status" was published in 2020 in Military Medical Research. Research titled "Fig. 3. Incidence of nosocomial COVID-19 in patients of medical organizations in the subjects of the Siberian Federal District in 2021." and "Fig. 2. Incidence of nosocomial COVID-19 in patients of medical organizations in the subjects of the Ural Federal District in 2021." provide additional context on viral incidence patterns.

Medical organizations including the American Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the Infectious Disease Society of America have issued their own 2026-2027 respiratory vaccine recommendations to fill the gap left by the CDC. The American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended that children under 8 months receive RSV monoclonal antibody immunization unless their mother received an RSV vaccine during pregnancy, as part of its updated guidelines for the 2026 respiratory virus season.