The American Academy of Pediatrics is emphasising the importance of annual flu shots for children aged 6 months and older amid sluggish vaccination rates and the upcoming influenza season, as experts call for early vaccination to prevent severe outcomes and deaths.
The American Academy of Pediatrics is urging annual flu shots for all children aged 6 months and older unless a medical reason rules them out, as families start back-to-school health visits and the U.S. prepares for another influenza season after 190 paediatric deaths last winter. The recommendation is familiar, but the urgency is sharper this year because vaccination rates remain stuck below half of children and the timing now matters: families with children who need two doses must begin early enough to leave four weeks between them.
According to the academy, just 49.4% of children aged 6 months through 17 years had received a flu vaccine by mid-May, a level little changed from the previous season. Pediatric experts have long pointed out that most children who die from flu were not vaccinated, and the academy says the available evidence still shows strong protection against severe outcomes even when the shot does not prevent every infection.
Kristina A. Bryant, a member of the AAP Committee on Infectious Diseases, said the vaccines have been extensively studied and are safe for children, while also preventing hospital stays, deaths and many doctor visits. The academy’s policy statement and technical report were published online in Pediatrics and are due in the September issue. The guidance also arrives as federal childhood immunisation policy has been unsettled, with the CDC not yet issuing its own flu advice for the season when the AAP released its statement.
The CDC says the 2026-27 seasonal flu vaccines have been updated from last year’s versions to better match the viruses expected to circulate, including the influenza A(H3N2) subclade K strain that spread widely last season. The agency also says it expects an adequate and varied supply of approved vaccines. In its vaccine guidance, the CDC says protection begins about two weeks after vaccination and that current seasonal products are designed to cover the strains most likely to be common.
The AAP says children aged 6 months through 8 years who are being vaccinated for the first time, or who have had only one lifetime dose before July 1, need two doses at least four weeks apart. Everyone else needs one dose, and the academy says the schedule should be completed by the end of October if possible. It also says flu shots can be given at the same visit as other vaccines, including during pregnancy, and that breastfeeding is not a reason to avoid vaccination.
The academy does not prefer one licensed product over another, saying any vaccine appropriate for a child’s age and health status can be used. It also notes that most private insurance plans, Medicaid and CHIP cover the shot without cost-sharing, while uninsured and underinsured children may be eligible through the federal Vaccines for Children programme. For children at higher risk of complications, the AAP says antiviral treatment is a separate issue and may be appropriate for hospitalised patients or those with severe illness.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
