US Medical Groups Recommend Vaccinations for Flu, COVID-19, and RSV

A coalition of leading medical groups in the United States has urged the public to get updated vaccinations for influenza and COVID-19, publishing guidance to address a gap left by changing advice from the federal government. The coalition, which includes the American Medical Association (AMA) and the American Academy of Pediatrics, issued the vaccine guidance for respiratory illnesses on Wednesday. The guidance also included the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and varied by age group and other factors, such as pregnancy. The groups stated, "The latest high-quality scientific evidence found that these immunisations continue to provide meaningful protection against severe illness, hospitalisation and death." They expressed hope to reduce confusion caused by the absence of updated vaccine recommendations and noted that recent scientific studies have not raised new health concerns related to the vaccines. AMA president-elect Sandra Fryhofer emphasized the need for clear, credible vaccine recommendations based on the best available scientific evidence. The coalition's independent review has been published online to provide consistent guidance amid changes in federal recommendations. Typically, vaccine advice comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and its independent advisers. However, the administration of President Donald Trump began to withdraw some longstanding recommendations for virus protection and routine vaccinations last year. This included recommendations for the hepatitis B vaccine for newborns and the COVID-19 vaccine for US residents older than six months. Medical associations have opposed these changes, which they argue contradict scientific consensus. A federal judge has suspended many of the administration's measures, ruling in March that the federal government had disregarded science-based methods, which has impacted the expert panel advising the CDC on vaccination recommendations. This year, the federal government has only issued guidance for influenza, extending its advice from the previous year. The medical groups' guidance recommends an annual influenza shot for everyone six months and older, updated COVID vaccines for healthy adults, young children, and pregnant women, and RSV immunisations for older adults, pregnant women, and children younger than eight months. During the 2025-2026 respiratory virus season, influenza had the highest burden, with about 32 million to 52 million cases, 390,000 hospitalisations, and 24,000 deaths in the US, according to CDC estimates. There were approximately 4.6 million to 12.9 million COVID cases during the same period, with 140,000 to 240,000 hospitalisations and 15,000 to 42,000 deaths, according to preliminary CDC estimates. RSV caused an estimated 2.8 million to 5.8 million outpatient visits, 170,000 to 340,000 hospitalisations, and up to 25,000 deaths. The burden of influenza and COVID declined in the 2025-2026 season compared to the previous year, while RSV activity remained relatively similar.