Key Takeaway:
- Medical groups issued independent Fall Vaccine Guidelines for flu, COVID-19, and RSV ahead of the 2026-27 respiratory illness season.
- The guidance replaces the groups’ former collaboration with the CDC after major changes to its vaccine advisory committee.
- New RSV and flu recommendations emphasize timing and eligibility, including expanded RSV vaccination timing for pregnant people.
Major medical organizations released joint guidance Wednesday on flu, COVID-19 and RSV vaccines for the coming winter, filling a gap created by changes to federal vaccine policy.
Medical Groups Create Independent Guidance
The recommendations were developed by professional groups representing pediatricians, family physicians, obstetricians and other health professionals in partnership with the University of Minnesota’s Vaccine Integrity Project.
The effort is designed to help doctors advise patients and give individuals evidence-based information about which vaccinations may prevent respiratory illnesses or reduce the risk of severe disease.
The groups reviewed scientific evidence on seasonal respiratory vaccines with assistance from the Vaccine Integrity Project, which operates through the university’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy.
The Fall Vaccine Guidelines largely follow guidance issued before recent changes at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The groups emphasized that patients should receive recommended vaccines at the appropriate time.
CDC Vaccine Advisory Process Faces Upheaval
The organizations previously worked with the CDC to develop joint vaccination guidance. That process has broken down after the agency’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices was dismantled and replaced in a move led by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime vaccine critic.
All 17 members of the previous advisory committee were dismissed in June 2025. The reconstituted panel has drawn criticism from medical professionals over the qualifications and views of some new members.
A court challenge to the restructuring has left the committee and recommendations issued by its new members in legal uncertainty, according to STAT.
The medical organizations’ independent effort is intended to provide clinicians with guidance while that federal process remains unsettled.
Bruce Gellin, a member of the Vaccine Integrity Project’s board of advisers, said patients and doctors still need dependable scientific information and Fall Vaccine Guidelines despite the policy changes.
“Americans should have access to the best available scientific evidence and recommendations from the physicians and medical experts who care for them,” Gellin said during a joint news conference.
Groups Adjust Recommendations For RSV
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists made a notable change by extending the period when pregnant people can receive an RSV vaccine to protect their infants during their first RSV season.
The Fall Vaccine Guidelines recommended period previously ended Jan. 31. It now extends through March 1 because recent RSV seasons have started later and lasted longer, said Christina Davidson, ACOG’s chief medical officer.
The RSV vaccine for pregnant people remains a one-time vaccination because the appropriate schedule for repeat doses has not been established. In later pregnancies, infants may instead receive RSV monoclonal antibodies if they meet eligibility requirements.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends RSV monoclonal antibodies for babies 8 months and younger entering their first RSV season when their mothers did not receive an RSV vaccine during pregnancy or their vaccination status is unknown.
Sarah Nosal, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians, also stressed timing in the Fall Vaccine Guidelines for influenza vaccination. Because protection can weaken during the season, she said October is generally the best time for people to receive a flu shot.
The organizations published papers Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association explaining the evidence behind their recommendations. The Vaccine Integrity Project also plans to provide an interactive tool for doctors and the public.
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