US medical groups release updated autumn respiratory virus vaccination guidance with increased focus on vulnerable populations

US doctors’ organisations have unveiled a comprehensive autumn vaccine strategy, expanding protection for vulnerable children and prioritising early immunisation for adults and immunocompromised individuals amid ongoing respiratory virus concerns.

US doctors’ groups have drawn up their own autumn respiratory-virus playbook, adding broader RSV protection for some vulnerable children while pressing ahead with flu and COVID-19 vaccination advice for everyone from babies to older adults. The package, coordinated by the American Medical Association and the Vaccine Integrity Project, is being channelled through a new website, SpreadTheFacts.org, after what the AMA says was a six-month, evidence-based review launched in February. (ama-assn.org)

For adults, the American Academy of Family Physicians is taking a notably expansive line. Sarah Nosal, the academy’s president, said in its announcement that “Vaccines are one of medicine’s greatest success stories.” The group says every adult aged 19 and over should have a COVID-19 vaccine this season, and that people aged 65 and over should return for a second updated dose six months later as protection wanes. It also says everyone aged six months and above should have a flu jab each year, with over-65s asked to favour an enhanced product, such as a high-dose, adjuvanted, recombinant or mRNA vaccine, if one is available, but not to postpone immunisation if it is not. (aafp.org)

Paediatricians are putting particular weight on flu after a bruising season for children. The American Academy of Pediatrics says all children aged six months and older should be vaccinated for the 2026-27 season and ideally should receive the dose by the end of October. In its August guidance, the academy said only 49.4% of children aged six months to 17 years had been vaccinated by 16 May, while the 2025-26 season caused 190 paediatric deaths, a figure it said could still rise as delayed reports come in. Historically, about 85% of children who die from flu were unvaccinated. Kristina Bryant of the AAP’s infectious-diseases committee said “flu vaccines have been thoroughly studied”. The academy also noted that generic Xofluza may improve access to antiviral treatment for eligible children aged five and over. (healthychildren.org)

The AAP’s COVID-19 advice is also broader than a simple high-risk-only message. It recommends vaccination for all children aged six to 23 months, saying children younger than two are at the greatest risk of severe illness and hospitalisation. After that, the academy recommends vaccination for children and teenagers with risk factors, but says the vaccine should also be available for two- to 18-year-olds whose parents want that protection even if they are not in a recognised risk group. (healthychildren.org)

On RSV, the newest shift is in the second season of life. The AAP says all infants under eight months entering their first RSV season should still be protected unless they already have documented protection from vaccination during pregnancy. But it has now widened the categories of high-risk children aged eight to 19 months who should be immunised in their second season, including those born before 32 weeks’ gestation, children with haemodynamically significant congenital heart disease, anatomic pulmonary abnormalities or neuromuscular disorders, and children with Down syndrome or other chromosomal differences linked to severe disease. Sean O’Leary, who chairs the AAP subgroup on RSV immunisation, said: “We’re already seeing real-world impact.” The academy noted that nirsevimab and maternal RSV vaccination became available in the 2023-24 season, while Clesrovimab was licensed last summer. (healthychildren.org)

The Infectious Diseases Society of America has meanwhile focused on people with weakened immune systems, arguing that they need clearer and earlier protection than ever. Its guidance says immunocompromised people aged six months and over should receive COVID-19 and flu vaccination, and that RSV vaccination should be considered for immunocompromised adults and adolescents. The society adds practical advice largely absent from broader public messaging: COVID-19, flu and RSV vaccines can be given during the same visit; where possible they should be timed before a transplant, chemotherapy or another immune-suppressing treatment; and household members and other close contacts should also stay up to date. Ronald Nahass, the IDSA president, said: “Getting vaccinated early this fall remains one of the most effective ways to prevent severe illness.” (idsociety.org)

The joint effort is as much about trust as it is about scheduling injections. The AMA says SpreadTheFacts.org will carry the underlying evidence reviews as well as patient FAQs arranged by virus and by patient group, plus infographics for use in consultations. It says monthly scientific meetings were paired with patient focus groups, which found that “patients are very concerned about the authenticity of the information they’re being given”. Sandra Fryhofer, the AMA president-elect, said the aim was to provide a transparent process and a common evidence base for doctors across specialties. (ama-assn.org)

Taken together, the message from the medical societies is to vaccinate early, and to use the autumn appointment sensibly. For children, that means flu vaccination by late October if possible. For older adults, it means planning now for a second updated COVID-19 dose six months after the first. For people whose immunity is compromised, it means asking whether flu, COVID-19 and RSV protection can be handled in one visit and, if treatment such as chemotherapy is looming, whether the timing should be moved forward. The groups’ common argument is that the science is strong enough for clinicians to act now rather than wait for a simpler federal consensus to emerge. (healthychildren.org)