Top US doctors offer updated flu and COVID vaccine recommendations,
aiming to ease confusion
[September 03, 2026]
By LAURAN NEERGAARD
Leading U.S. medical groups are urging people to get updated flu and
COVID-19 vaccinations this fall, banding together Wednesday to issue
shot guidelines — and highlight the science behind them — saying they
hope to ease confusion caused by the Trump administration's changing
advice.
Flu vaccinations are beginning and COVID-19 shots are starting to arrive
after the Food and Drug Administration approved this year’s updated
versions last week. Winter also brings another vaccine-preventable risk
called RSV. Exactly who should get one or all of these vaccines, and
when?
That advice usually comes from the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, with help from its independent advisers. But despite no new
scientific evidence, Trump health officials last year began pulling back
on some longstanding recommendations for fall virus protection and
routine children's vaccinations. And that advisory panel, which
influences state and insurance vaccine policies, is caught in a court
battle. The CDC didn't respond to questions about any new fall guidance
but suggested on its website that doctors follow last year's flu
recommendations.
Doctors’ groups are filling the gap: the American Academy of Pediatrics,
American Academy of Family Physicians, American College of Obstetricians
and Gynecologists, and the Infectious Diseases Society of America each
released vaccination guidelines for their patient populations.
“There’s been a lot of confusion and chaos regarding vaccine
recommendations,” said Dr. Sandra Fryhofer, of the American Medical
Association.
All the groups' recommendations plus evidence on shot safety and
effectiveness are being posted on websites so “the public has clear,
consistent, science-based guidance even while the federal process is in
flux," Fryhofer said.
Just about everyone should get vaccinated against flu
Just about everybody starting at age 6 months needs flu vaccination, the
medical societies agree. But flu is particularly dangerous for people 65
and older, pregnant women, young children and people of any age who have
chronic health problems, including asthma, diabetes, heart disease and
weak immune systems. The last two flu seasons were especially harsh,
with unusually high numbers of child deaths — the vast majority of them
in unvaccinated kids.
The vaccines don't block all flu infections but they do help prevent the
worst outcomes, decreasing older adults' hospitalizations by 31%,
according to the Vaccine Integrity Project, a public health group based
at the University of Minnesota. Its analysis was published Wednesday in
the medical journal JAMA.
Here's how to pick from the multiple flu vaccine options
Three “enhanced” flu vaccines are designed to better protect seniors.
The American Academy of Family Physicians urges them to choose one —
"but do not delay your vaccination if that one’s not available,” said
AAFP’s Dr. Sarah Nosal.
There’s a new choice this year for people ages 50 and older, the first
flu vaccine made with the same mRNA technology that was key to ending
the COVID-19 pandemic. One study found Moderna's mFlusiva was 27% more
effective against symptomatic illness among 50- to 64-year-olds than a
standard shot. The FDA just approved the new option and the company
expects some doses to be available soon at certain pharmacies.
The shot-averse could choose a nasal spray, FluMist, if they're ages 2
to 49 and meet other health criteria.
The latest on COVID-19 vaccines
COVID-19 shots once were recommended for just about everyone by federal
health agencies, but like last year, the FDA has only formally approved
them for higher-risk people — those ages 65 and older or younger people
with at least one health condition that increases their risk.
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A certified medical assistant holds a syringe for a flu vaccine at a
clinic in Seattle, on Sept. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson,
File)
 Still, the family physicians
recommend all adults get a COVID-19 vaccination, especially seniors
and those with other risk factors. Adults 65 and older should get a
fall dose and then a second dose six months later, as immunity wanes
over time, Nosal said.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a COVID-19 shot for
all children ages 6 months to 23 months, and for older kids with
high-risk conditions. It also supports vaccination for any child
whose parent wishes it.
With millions of shots administered, there’s no evidence that
coronavirus vaccination during pregnancy increases the risk of
miscarriage or other problems, “so please get the vaccine,” said
ACOG’s Dr. Christina Davidson.
Depending on age, people can choose a shot from Moderna, Pfizer, or
the only non-mRNA version from Novavax and Sanofi.
Just like with flu vaccines, these shots are better at preventing
severe disease than mild cases. The Vaccine Integrity Project said
last fall’s COVID-19 shots cut the risk of hospitalization by 53% in
seniors and slashed emergency room visits for very young children.
Common side effects for flu and COVID-19 vaccines are mild and
temporary, such as sore arms, fatigue, headaches, muscle aches, and
mild fever. They occurred somewhat more often with the new mFlusiva
than with standard flu shots.
Here's where you can get vaccinated
While pediatricians and some clinics offer both flu and coronavirus
shots, they're most common in pharmacies.
For COVID-19 shots, states have more pharmacy rules. For example,
Walgreens says it offers those shots without a prescription in all
but two states, Arizona and Oregon, but can provide doses for
children as young as 3 in some states while others have higher age
limits.
Medicare covers the fall shots and most private health insurers say
they plan to continue doing so through 2027.
How to time your vaccination
October is ideal for a flu vaccine, as influenza typically starts
spreading in November. COVID-19 tends to rise in late summer, as it
is now, and again after the winter holidays. Fryhofer says it’s fine
to time the coronavirus shot a few weeks ahead of an event you
wouldn’t want to miss because of illness, like a special trip or
get-together.
RSV is a nuisance for many, but it can be deadly for some
RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, typically is a cold-like
nuisance during the fall, winter and early spring. But it can be
severe, even life-threatening, for infants and older adults.
The family physicians recommend a one-time vaccination for adults 75
and older, people 50 to 74 who are at increased risk, or younger
people with weak immune systems.
It’s also recommended during late pregnancy to protect infants born
during RSV season. Separately, the pediatricians recommend a
vaccine-like medication for those infants whose moms weren't
vaccinated and some other high-risk babies.
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