Health
Medical associations issue joint respiratory vaccine guidance amid federal panel disruption
Leading health organizations released immunization guidance for flu, COVID-19, and RSV following legal and structural turmoil at the CDC's advisory committee.
The short version
- Prominent US medical groups released joint respiratory vaccine recommendations for the 2026-2027 season covering flu, COVID-19, and RSV.
- The guidance bypasses the CDC's traditional Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices process, which remains halted amid legal challenges following major personnel changes under HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
- The recommendations establish broad vaccination schedules for infants, children, and adults, based on an evidence review published in JAMA.
Key facts
- The American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Family Physicians, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the Infectious Diseases Society of America issued joint respiratory virus immunization recommendations for the 2026-2027 season.[The Hill]
- The recommendations were formulated using an evidence review of influenza, COVID-19, and RSV vaccines conducted by the American Medical Association and the University of Minnesota's Vaccine Integrity Project, published in JAMA.[The Hill]
- The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices was dismantled after HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dismissed previous members and appointed vaccine skeptics, leading to a lawsuit that has stalled the panel's operations.[The Hill]
- For children, the groups recommend annual flu shots starting at 6 months, COVID-19 vaccines for ages 6 to 23 months (and older children by request or high risk), and RSV protection for infants whose mothers were not vaccinated during pregnancy.[The Hill]
- For adults, the groups advise annual flu and COVID-19 shots for the general population, alongside a one-time RSV shot for individuals aged 50 to 74 who face elevated risk of severe disease.[The Hill]
- The CDC recently reissued its previous flu guidance without referencing newly FDA-approved mRNA influenza vaccines designed for older adults.[The Hill]
What remains uncertain
- The final legal status of the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and whether federal agencies will adopt or contest the medical groups' guidance remain unresolved.[The Hill]