Americans heading into another fall and winter respiratory-virus season are getting vaccine advice in an unusual way this year: from a coalition of the nation’s leading medical organizations.
Traditionally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and its vaccine advisory committee have issued guidance. But the vaccine advisory committee is in legal limbo after a federal judge ruled in March that Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. unlawfully altered vaccine policy and improperly reconstituted the group. The major medical societies have acted together to provide comprehensive seasonal recommendations.
The American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the Infectious Diseases Society of America released recommendations Wednesday guided by an independent review conducted by the Vaccine Integrity Project (VIP) in collaboration with the American Medical Association. The VIP, a group of public health researchers, reviewed hundreds of peer-reviewed studies on the safety and effectiveness of immunizations against influenza, covid-19 and RSV, and found no new safety concerns.
The VIP’s review analyzed studies published from August 2025 through the end of June 2026. It included the new mRNA flu vaccine but did not include the new mRNA covid vaccines approved by the Food and Drug Administration last week.
“We cannot allow the breakdown of a federal process to create a vacuum in evidence-based vaccine guidance,” said Bruce Gellin, a longtime vaccine expert who chairs the the VIP’s advisory board. “Americans are hearing conflicting messages about vaccines right now, and it’s understandable that people are asking whom they should trust.”
Gellin said the project set out to answer basic questions about the quality and credibility of the evidence: “Were qualified experts involved? Were both the benefits and risks examined? Were the methods transparent and can the public see it for themselves? And those are the standards that we’ve applied to this work.”
Influenza, covid-19 and RSV are expected to send hundreds of thousands of Americans to the hospital this fall. Covid-19 is causing less severe illness overall than it did earlier in the pandemic, but all three viruses continue to pose a serious risk, particularly for older adults, young children and people with underlying health problems.
Here is what the medical societies recommend.
When is the best time to get the flu and covid-19 vaccines? Can they be given together?
October is the best time for most people to get a flu vaccine, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians, because protection can wane over the course of the season. But people should still get vaccinated later if they miss that window and the flu is continuing to circulate.
Timing for the covid-19 vaccine depends in part on whether you have recently been infected. People who have not recently had covid-19 can get the updated vaccine now or this fall. Those who recently had a coronavirus infection can consider waiting four to six months before getting vaccinated, although getting the vaccine sooner is not considered harmful.
Covid-19, flu and RSV vaccines can be safely given at the same visit. For pregnant women, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists also says giving the vaccines together does not reduce their effectiveness.
Who should get a flu shot?
Everyone 6 months and older, with rare exceptions, should receive a seasonal flu vaccine.
The flu remains one of the country’s leading causes of vaccine-preventable respiratory illness. This fall’s vaccine covers three strains of seasonal flu, updated for 2026-27. During the 2025-26 season, interim CDC estimates indicate that influenza caused at least 390,000 hospitalizations and 24,000 deaths.
Adults
- Some flu vaccines are better for older adults and people with compromised immune systems. They should preferably receive an enhanced vaccine — such as a high-dose or adjuvanted — if one is available, but they should not delay vaccination to get one.
Pregnant women
- The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says those who are pregnant should get that season’s vaccine as soon as it is available at any trimester. The recommended options are inactivated or recombinant flu vaccines. The nasal-spray vaccine, which contains live weakened virus, should not be used during pregnancy. The organization also does not recommend the new mRNA flu vaccine for pregnant women. That vaccine is not yet available at CVS. Vaccination during pregnancy protects both the mother and the baby, including during the infant’s first months of life.
The Vaccine Integrity Project screened more than 5,800 studies and identified 69 newly published studies, and found that vaccination continues to reduce hospitalization and death among those at greatest risk for severe disease. Among adults 65 and older, one analysis found the vaccine reduced the risk of hospitalization by 31 percent. For children ages 6 months through 17 years, another study spanning eight flu seasons found vaccination was 80 percent effective at preventing laboratory-confirmed flu deaths.
Who should get a covid-19 vaccine?
The American Academy of Family Physicians recommends an updated 2026-2027 covid-19 vaccine for all adults 19 and older. Vaccination is especially important for adults 65 and older, people at increased risk of severe disease and anyone who has never received a covid vaccine.
Older adults
- Those 65 and older should receive a second dose six months after the first updated dose to help maintain protection as immunity wanes.
Other adults
- The recommendation of the family physicians group is broader than the FDA-approved population, which is for adults 65 and over, as well as those with at least one health condition putting them at risk of severe disease, according to the manufacturers of the mRNA-based vaccines. Most Americans can still get the shots off-label, which essentially means doctors and other health care providers can administer medications to populations the FDA did not approve them for. Doctors generally weigh various factors, including the advice of major medical societies, government recommendations and a patient’s individual health.
Children
- The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the updated covid-19 vaccine for all children ages 6 through 23 months.
- Children ages 6 months through 18 years who are moderately or severely immunocompromised may need two or more doses of an age-appropriate vaccine.
- For children and teenagers ages 2 through 18, the pediatrics group recommends a single dose if they are at higher risk for severe covid-19, live in a long-term care or other congregate setting, have never been vaccinated, or live with someone at high risk for severe disease.
- Children ages 2 through 18 who are not in one of those risk groups should still be offered a single dose if their parent or guardian wants them protected against covid-19.
Pregnant women
- The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists continues to recommend that those who are pregnant and lactating receive an updated vaccine. Pregnant women should be encouraged to get the updated vaccine during pregnancy, the organization said, because pregnant women are more likely to become seriously ill from covid-19 and face a higher risk of pregnancy complications. Studies have not found that vaccination increases the risk of harm to the mother, the pregnancy or the baby, the group said. The vaccine can be given during any trimester, and the group recommends getting it as soon as it is available rather than waiting until later in pregnancy.
Who should get the RSV vaccine?
Pregnant women
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says those who are pregnant should receive the RSV vaccine between 32 and 36 weeks of pregnancy during RSV season. This year, the organization extended its recommended vaccination window through March 1 because RSV has been circulating later into the spring. The goal is to pass protective antibodies to the baby before birth and help protect the infant during the first months of life. If the mother is not vaccinated during pregnancy, or the baby is born less than two weeks after vaccination, the infant should receive an RSV antibody immunization after birth.
Children
- Infants and babies: The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends an RSV antibody immunization for infants younger than 8 months entering their first RSV season if their mother was not vaccinated during pregnancy, her vaccination status is unknown, or the baby was born less than two weeks after maternal vaccination.
- Children 8 through 19 months: For children entering a second RSV season, the antibody is recommended only for those at higher risk of severe illness. That includes some children who were born very prematurely or who have serious heart or lung disease, severe immune problems, certain neurologic or genetic conditions, cystic fibrosis, or other medical conditions that increase their risk. The pediatrics organization expanded that high-risk group for the 2026-27 season.
Adults
The American Academy of Family Physicians supports a one-time RSV vaccine for all adults 75 and older, and for adults ages 50 through 74 who are at increased risk of severe RSV illness. It also recommends RSV vaccination for adults who are immunocompromised. For most adults, the RSV vaccine is not an annual shot. People who have already received one generally do not need another dose each fall.
The post Fall vaccine guide: What to know about covid, flu and RSV shots this year appeared first on Washington Post.
