Fall vaccine guide: What to know about new flu, COVID, and RSV shots amid federal confusion

Prominent US medical organizations are encouraging the public to get updated influenza and COVID-19 shots this fall, joining forces Wednesday to publish vaccination guidelines and explain the supporting science to clear up confusion over the Trump administration's changing guidance.

Flu vaccine rollouts are underway, and updated COVID-19 immunizations are arriving nationwide following Food and Drug Administration approval last week. Winter also brings threats from RSV, another vaccine-preventable disease, leaving many unsure about timing and eligibility for these immunizations.

Recommendations typically stem from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention alongside its independent advisers. However, despite no new scientific data, Trump health officials began stepping back from established guidelines for autumn virus defense and routine childhood vaccines last year. That advisory panel, which helps shape state policies and insurance coverage, remains entangled in a legal dispute, while the CDC failed to answer queries regarding new fall advice.

Physician organizations are stepping up to fill the void: the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Family Physicians, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the Infectious Diseases Society of America have all issued tailored guidance for their respective patient populations.

"There’s been a lot of confusion and chaos regarding vaccine recommendations," said Dr. Sandra Fryhofer, of the American Medical Association.

The AMA is hosting every group's advice and research on vaccine safety and effectiveness at SpreadTheFacts.org, ensuring "the public has clear, consistent, science-based guidance even while the federal process is in flux," she said.

Medical societies agree that almost everyone starting at age 6 months needs flu vaccination. But flu is particularly dangerous for people 65 and older, pregnant women, young children and people of any age who have chronic health problems, including asthma, diabetes, heart disease and weak immune systems. The last two flu seasons were especially harsh, with unusually high numbers of child deaths — the vast majority of them in unvaccinated kids.

The vaccines don't block all flu infections, but they do help prevent the worst outcomes, decreasing older adults' hospitalizations by 31%, according to the Vaccine Integrity Project, a public health group based at the University of Minnesota. Its analysis was published Wednesday in the medical journal JAMA.

Older adults are encouraged to select from three "enhanced" flu vaccines engineered for stronger protection. The American Academy of Family Physicians advises picking one — "but do not delay your vaccination if that one’s not available," said AAFP’s Dr. Sarah Nosal.

Individuals aged 50 and older have a new option this season: the first flu shot utilizing the mRNA technology that proved vital to ending the COVID-19 pandemic. Research showed Moderna's mFlusiva was 27% more effective at preventing symptomatic illness in 50- to 64-year-olds compared to a standard dose.