SEPTEMBER 2, 2026
Medical groups release fall vaccine guidance for flu, COVID-19, and RSV as federal recommendations remain absent
Four major medical organizations — the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and the Infectious Diseases Society of America — released updated vaccination guidelines Wednesday for flu, COVID-19, and RSV ahead of the fall respiratory season. The guidance was coordinated through the Vaccine Integrity Project, based at the University of Minnesota, and supporting analyses were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has not convened to issue updated recommendations, leaving a gap in the federal guidance process that the medical groups said they sought to fill.
The coordinated release of fall vaccine guidelines came as federal health agencies remained silent on updated recommendations for the 2026–27 respiratory virus season. The CDC did not respond to press questions about new guidance, and the Department of Health and Human Services made no public announcement ahead of the medical groups' Wednesday release. The CDC did extend its 2025 flu vaccine recommendations into 2026, NPR reported, but issued no updated advice on COVID-19 or RSV.
The medical societies' recommendations diverge from current federal policy in several areas. The American Academy of Family Physicians recommended that all adults 19 and older receive the updated COVID-19 vaccine — a broader scope than last year's federal approvals, which the FDA limited to people 65 and older or those with at least one health condition increasing their risk. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommended COVID-19 vaccination for all infants and children ages 6 to 23 months, and for older children at high risk or whose parents choose it. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists continued its recommendation that pregnant women receive COVID-19 vaccination, noting the shot protects both mother and newborn. For RSV, the family physicians recommended a one-time vaccination for adults 75 and older and those 50 to 74 at increased risk, while the pediatrics group expanded its RSV immunization recommendation to include infants and children ages 8 to 19 months entering their second RSV season.
The Vaccine Integrity Project published supporting analyses in JAMA showing the vaccines reduced hospitalization risk. The group reported that last fall's COVID-19 shots cut hospitalization risk by 53% in seniors, and that flu vaccines reduced hospitalization in older adults by 31%. For context on the disease burden, the Washington Examiner reported CDC data showing an estimated 390,000 influenza-related hospitalizations and 24,000 deaths last respiratory season, alongside 170,000 RSV hospitalizations and up to 25,000 RSV deaths.