Medical groups urge fall flu, COVID and RSV shots

Leading U.S. medical groups urged Americans to get updated vaccinations for flu, COVID-19 and RSV this fall, issuing their own guidance Wednesday as they sought to fill a gap left by shifting federal recommendations.

The coalition includes the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Infectious Diseases Society of America. The groups said current evidence shows the vaccines continue to protect against severe illness, hospitalization and death.

“There’s been a lot of confusion and chaos regarding vaccine recommendations,” said Dr. Sandra Fryhofer of the American Medical Association. She said the AMA is posting the groups’ recommendations and evidence on vaccine safety and effectiveness at SpreadTheFacts.org so “the public has clear, consistent, science-based guidance even while the federal process is in flux.”

Vaccine advice usually comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with input from independent advisers. But Trump administration health officials began pulling back last year on some longstanding recommendations for fall virus protection and routine childhood vaccinations, despite no new scientific evidence, The Guardian reported. Al Jazeera reported that a federal judge suspended many of the administration’s measures in March, ruling that the federal government had disregarded science-based methods, complicating the work of the expert panel that advises the CDC. The CDC did not respond to The Guardian’s questions about new fall guidance.

The medical groups recommend an annual flu shot for nearly everyone age 6 months and older. They said flu is especially dangerous for adults 65 and older, pregnant women, young children and people with chronic conditions such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease or weakened immune systems. The last two flu seasons brought unusually high numbers of child deaths, most of them among unvaccinated children, The Guardian reported.

Flu vaccines do not prevent every infection, but they reduce severe outcomes. The Vaccine Integrity Project, a public health group based at the University of Minnesota, found that flu vaccination lowered hospitalizations among older adults by 31%, according to an analysis published Wednesday in JAMA.

Three enhanced flu vaccines are designed for seniors. Dr. Sarah Nosal of the American Academy of Family Physicians urged older adults to choose one, “but do not delay your vaccination if that one’s not available.” A new option this year is Moderna’s mFlusiva, the first flu vaccine using mRNA technology, approved for people 50 and older. One study found it was 27% more effective against symptomatic illness in adults ages 50 to 64 than a standard shot. Moderna expects some doses to be available soon at certain pharmacies. A nasal spray vaccine, FluMist, is also available for some people ages 2 to 49 who meet health criteria.

COVID-19 recommendations differ from current federal approvals. The Food and Drug Administration has formally approved the latest COVID shots for adults 65 and older and younger people with at least one risk-increasing health condition. The family physicians’ group recommends all adults get a COVID vaccination, especially seniors and people with risk factors. Nosal said adults 65 and older should get a fall dose and another six months later as immunity wanes.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends COVID vaccination for all children ages 6 months to 23 months, for older children with high-risk conditions and for any child whose parent wants the shot. ACOG recommends vaccination during pregnancy. “So please get the vaccine,” said Dr. Christina Davidson, adding that millions of administered doses have shown no evidence of increased miscarriage risk or other pregnancy problems.

The groups also advised RSV immunizations for older adults, pregnant women and children younger than 8 months, Al Jazeera reported.

According to CDC estimates cited by Al Jazeera, flu caused about 32 million to 52 million cases, 390,000 hospitalizations and 24,000 deaths in the 2025-2026 respiratory virus season. COVID caused an estimated 4.6 million to 12.9 million cases, 140,000 to 240,000 hospitalizations and 15,000 to 42,000 deaths. RSV caused 2.8 million to 5.8 million outpatient visits, 170,000 to 340,000 hospitalizations and up to 25,000 deaths.