The short answer
Recommended: CDC's 2026-27 flu vaccine guidance, dated September 1, 2026, says that "because of legal uncertainties," the flu recommendations from the July 2025 schedule remain in effect for this season. Those recommendations call for a yearly flu vaccine for everyone 6 months and older.[1][2] AAP and AAFP recommend the same, and AAP does not prefer one vaccine product over another.[3][4]
Free: AAP expects flu vaccines to be covered by commercial insurance and available through the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program as usual.[3] A March 2026 court order requires insurers to keep covering the vaccines they covered in January 2025.[7] The insurer trade group AHIP has also said its member plans will cover ACIP-recommended vaccines with no cost-sharing through the end of 2027.[5]
Still unsettled: a federal appeal and an August 2026 executive order could change the federal recommendation later. Neither had changed CDC's flu guidance for this season as of October 5, 2026. Details are below.
What happened, in order
- January 5, 2026. CDC issued a revised childhood schedule that moved flu vaccination from a recommendation for all children to "shared clinical decision-making," meaning the family and clinician decide case by case.[5]
- By January 20, 2026. 28 states (a count that includes Washington, DC) and several multistate health alliances said they would follow AAP's schedule instead.[5]
- March 16, 2026. A federal court in Massachusetts stayed the revised schedule, the appointments of 13 new members of CDC's vaccine advisory committee (ACIP), and that committee's votes. Federal guidance went back to the version in place before May 2025.[6][7]
- April 29, 2026. The federal government appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.[8][5]
- May 2026. AHIP extended its no-cost coverage pledge through the end of 2027.[5]
- July 2026. ACIP still had no quorum.[11] As of mid-September it had not met since the March ruling.[9]
- August 10, 2026. AAP released its 2026-27 flu recommendations: yearly vaccination for children 6 months and older.[3] The same day, Executive Order 14420 listed influenza among childhood vaccines based on shared clinical decision-making. The order does not mention insurance coverage or the VFC program.[12]
- September 1 and 2, 2026. CDC kept the July 2025 flu recommendations in effect for 2026-27, and AAFP recommended yearly flu vaccination for everyone 6 months and older.[1][4]
- September 11, 2026. The district court paused its own proceedings until the appeals court rules.[9]
- October 6, 2026. The First Circuit is scheduled to hear oral argument.[10] As of October 5, 2026 there was no appeals ruling. FluHub will update this page when there is one.
What "shared clinical decision-making" would mean
It is not a ban. Under shared clinical decision-making, a child can still get the vaccine; the decision is made individually between the family and the clinician instead of being a default for every child.[5] The 2026 schedule was not paired with changes to the VFC program's vaccine list, so it does not appear to change which vaccines VFC covers.[5]
Why pediatricians still push for it
In the 2024-25 season, 280 children died of flu in the U.S., the most in any season since reporting began, excluding the 2009-10 pandemic. Among children who died, were old enough to be vaccinated, and had a known vaccination status, 89% were not fully vaccinated. About 44% had no underlying medical condition.[13] Children younger than 5, especially those younger than 2, are at higher risk of serious flu complications.[2] Who is at higher risk.