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FluHubWeek ending Sep 26, 2026

Prevention · 2026–27 season

Flu vaccines for 2026–27

Everyone 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine this season. This year's vaccines were updated for the drifted H3N2 strain that drove much of last winter's illness. Here is which vaccine fits whom, how well they work, and what changed in federal vaccine policy.

Clinical editor Parth Bhavsar, MDFollows CDC 2026–27 clinical considerations; AAP, AAFP, ACOG 2026–27Sources checked October 5, 2026
Who6 months and olderCDC, AAP, AAFP, and ACOG agree[1][6][7][8]
WhenSeptember–Octoberideally by the end of October; later is still worthwhile[5]
What changedAll 3 strains updatedincluding H3N2 subclade K; every vaccine is trivalent[4]
Protection startsAbout 2 weeksafter the shot[5]

Which vaccine is right for you

Any age-appropriate vaccine is better than waiting for a specific one.

WhoRecommendation
Children 6 months to 8 yearsAny age-appropriate vaccine. Children who have not had at least 2 flu vaccine doses before July 1, 2026 need 2 doses this season, 4 weeks apart; start early so the second dose is in by the end of October.[1] The two earlier doses do not need to have been in the same or consecutive seasons.[10] AAP does not prefer one product over another.[6]
Ages 9 to 49Any age-appropriate shot, or the FluMist nasal spray (ages 2 to 49) if there is no reason to avoid a live vaccine.[1]
Ages 50 to 64Any age-appropriate vaccine. The new mRNA vaccine mFLUSIVA is approved for this group as of August 2026.[9]
65 and olderPreferably a high-dose (Fluzone High-Dose), adjuvanted (Fluad), or recombinant (Flublok) vaccine.[1] AAFP and New York City's health department also list mFLUSIVA among preferred options.[7][10] If none is available, get any age-appropriate vaccine rather than wait.[7]
PregnantAn inactivated or recombinant shot in any trimester. Not the nasal spray, and ACOG does not recommend the mRNA vaccine in pregnancy because data are lacking.[1][8] Vaccination in pregnancy also protects the baby for the first months of life.
Egg allergyAny vaccine appropriate for age and health. No extra precautions are needed beyond those for any vaccine.[1]
Solid organ transplant, ages 18 to 64, on immunosuppressantsHigh-dose or adjuvanted vaccine are acceptable options, as is a standard vaccine.[1]

This season's vaccines

FDA chose the 2026–27 strains on March 12, 2026. All three components were updated, including protection against the H3N2 subclade K virus that spread widely in 2025–26.[3][4]

  • Egg-based: A/Missouri/11/2025 (H1N1)pdm09-like; A/Darwin/1454/2025 (H3N2)-like; B/Tokyo/EIS13-175/2025 (B/Victoria)-like.
  • Cell-based and recombinant: A/Missouri/11/2025 (H1N1)pdm09-like; A/Darwin/1415/2025 (H3N2)-like; B/Pennsylvania/14/2025 (B/Victoria)-like.

Manufacturers project up to 135 million U.S. doses; 99% contain no thimerosal preservative and 27% are made without eggs.[4]

FluMist at home

FluMist, the nasal spray vaccine, can be given by yourself (ages 18 to 49) or by a parent or caregiver (ages 2 to 17). You order it online, complete a screening, and it ships to you.[11] For 2026–27 the manufacturer reports home delivery in all 48 contiguous states. It is a live, weakened virus and is not for pregnant people, people with weakened immune systems or their close contacts, or children 2 to 4 with recent wheezing.[1]

Vaccines available for 2026–27

VaccineTypeAges
FluzoneStandard, egg-based6 mo+
FluarixStandard, egg-based6 mo+
FluLavalStandard, egg-based6 mo+
FlucelvaxCell-based, egg-free6 mo+
FlublokRecombinant, egg-free9 yr+
Fluzone High-DoseHigh-dose65+
FluadAdjuvanted65+
FluMistLive, nasal spray2–49
mFLUSIVA newmRNA50+
Ages from CDC's 2026–27 product table and FDA. Afluria is not being supplied this season. mFLUSIVA's approval for 65+ is accelerated, pending a confirmatory study.[1][10][9]

How well flu vaccines work

Effectiveness changes every year with how well the vaccine matches circulating viruses.

Last season the vaccine was a weaker match: subclade K drifted away from the H3N2 strain in the 2025–26 vaccine. CDC's interim estimates put effectiveness at 38–41% against outpatient flu and 41% against hospitalization in children, and 22–34% and 30% in adults.[12] The preliminary full-season estimate is 36%, compared with 56% in 2024–25.[13]

Even a partly matched vaccine prevents a large amount of serious illness because flu is so common. In 2024–25, CDC estimates vaccination prevented 10 million illnesses, 5 million medical visits, 180,000 hospitalizations, and 12,000 deaths.[14]

Fewer people are getting vaccinated: in 2024–25 coverage was 41.9% of adults and 50.2% of children, the lowest for children in 15 seasons.[15] See coverage by season.

2025–26 interimvs. outpatient fluvs. hospitalization
Children and teens38–41%41%
Adults 18+22–34%30%
MMWR, March 12, 2026. Ranges span CDC's VE networks.[12]
Vaccine effectiveness by seasonPercent reduction in the risk of a doctor's visit for flu among vaccinated people, all ages, U.S. Flu VE Network.
Vaccine effectiveness by season0%20%40%60%60%10–1147%49%12–1352%19%14–1548%40%16–1738%29%18–1939%n/a20–2136%30%22–2344%56%24–2536%25–26

Safety and side effects

A flu shot cannot give you flu. Shots contain killed virus or a single virus protein; the nasal spray uses a weakened virus that cannot cause flu.[5][16]

Common reactions are soreness, redness, or swelling where the shot was given, and sometimes low fever, aches, headache, or tiredness for a day or two. The nasal spray can cause a runny nose or sore throat.[16]

Guillain-Barré syndrome is rare. In seasons when any increased risk was found, it was about 1 to 2 extra cases per million doses.[16]

Full rundown of reactions and when to call a doctor: flu shot side effects guide.

With COVID-19 and RSV vaccines

Flu, COVID-19, and RSV vaccines may be given at the same visit, in different arms or at least an inch apart. Getting RSV and flu vaccines together may cause slightly more arm soreness and short-lived side effects.[17]

Cost and insurance

  • Marketplace and most private plans cover flu vaccine with no copay at an in-network provider.[18]
  • Medicare Part B covers it with nothing to pay when the provider accepts assignment.[19]
  • Children on Medicaid or uninsured can get free vaccine through the Vaccines for Children program.[1]
  • A March 2026 court order requires insurers to keep covering the vaccines they covered in January 2025.[20] Coverage of the new mRNA vaccine had not been confirmed when this page was checked.

Who makes the recommendations right now

Federal vaccine policy changed several times in 2025 and 2026. The basic flu recommendation, a yearly vaccine for everyone 6 months and older, is the same across federal and professional sources. These are the dated facts:

  • June 2025: HHS replaced the members of CDC's vaccine advisory committee (ACIP). The new committee reaffirmed universal flu vaccination and voted to recommend only thimerosal-free single-dose flu vaccines; the HHS secretary adopted the thimerosal vote on July 23, 2025.[2][22]
  • March 16, 2026: a federal court stayed the new ACIP appointments and all of that committee's votes, along with a January 2026 change to the childhood schedule.[21] HHS appealed on April 29, 2026.[23]
  • September 1, 2026: citing "legal uncertainties," CDC said the July 2025 flu recommendations remain in effect for 2026–27.[1]
  • August and September 2026: AAP, AAFP, and ACOG issued their own 2026–27 recommendations, all supporting yearly vaccination from 6 months.[6][7][8] Several states, including the West Coast Health Alliance of California, Oregon, Washington, and Hawaii, now base their guidance on these societies.[24]

FluHub follows CDC's 2026–27 clinical considerations and notes where professional societies add to them.

Find a flu shot

Pharmacies, clinics, and health centers near you.

Search by ZIP

Common questions

Timing, side effects, kids, pregnancy, and more.

Read the FAQ

Sources

  1. CDC. Interim Clinical Considerations for the Use of Seasonal Influenza Vaccines in the United States, 2026–2027, September 1, 2026.
  2. Grohskopf LA, et al. Prevention and Control of Seasonal Influenza with Vaccines: ACIP Recommendations, 2025–26. MMWR 2025;74(32), August 28, 2025.
  3. FDA. Influenza Vaccine Composition for the 2026–2027 U.S. Influenza Season, March 13, 2026.
  4. CDC. 2026–2027 Flu Season, updated September 29, 2026.
  5. CDC. Key Facts About Seasonal Flu Vaccine, September 1, 2026.
  6. AAP (HealthyChildren.org). AAP Flu Prevention Recommendations for 2026–27, August 10, 2026.
  7. AAFP. AAFP Announces Fall Immunization Recommendations, September 2, 2026.
  8. Contemporary OB/GYN. ACOG 2026–27 respiratory virus immunization recommendations in pregnancy, September 2026.
  9. Healthcare Dive. FDA approves Moderna's mRNA flu vaccine mFLUSIVA, August 6, 2026.
  10. NYC Health Department. 2026–2027 Seasonal Influenza Vaccine provider letter, 2026.
  11. FDA. FDA Approves Nasal Spray Influenza Vaccine for Self- or Caregiver-Administration, September 20, 2024.
  12. Interim Estimates of 2025–26 Seasonal Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness. MMWR 2026;75(9):116–123, March 12, 2026.
  13. CDC. Past Seasons' Vaccine Effectiveness Estimates, updated March 16, 2026.
  14. CDC. Flu Illnesses, Medical Visits, and Hospitalizations Prevented by Vaccination, 2024–2025, March 12, 2026.
  15. CDC FluVaxView. Flu Vaccination Coverage, United States, 2024–25 Influenza Season, January 8, 2026.
  16. CDC. Vaccine Safety: Flu Vaccines, December 20, 2024.
  17. CDC. Getting a Flu Vaccine and Other Vaccines at the Same Time, September 1, 2026.
  18. HealthCare.gov. Preventive care benefits for adults.
  19. Medicare.gov. Flu shots.
  20. Association of Health Care Journalists. Federal judge halts HHS ACIP vaccine decisions: what to know, March 18, 2026.
  21. APHA. Federal judge blocks immunization schedule changes, March 16, 2026.
  22. STAT. Kennedy approves ACIP recommendation to remove thimerosal from flu vaccines, July 23, 2025.
  23. STAT. HHS appealing ACIP vaccine policy ruling, April 29, 2026.
  24. Washington State DOH. West Coast Health Alliance 2026–2027 respiratory virus season immunization recommendations, September 4, 2026.