Flu, COVID-19 and RSV shots for fall 2026: who's recommending what

Why this season is confusing

Fall vaccine advice usually comes from one place. A federal panel, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), votes on recommendations, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) adopts them. That process has been disrupted since 2025.

In March 2026, a federal judge in Massachusetts ruled in a case brought by the American Academy of Pediatrics and other medical groups against Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The judge found that the Health Secretary had not followed a federal law requiring advisory panels to be balanced, and blocked 13 of his ACIP appointees from serving. The government appealed. A federal appeals court heard arguments on October 6, 2026, and as of the latest reports we found, it had not yet ruled. The government says the order has left ACIP without the quorum it needs to vote, and ACIP has not issued 2026-27 recommendations.

Because of this gap, several medical groups issued their own advice. Below, each recommendation is credited to the group that made it. Status may change, so treat this as a snapshot as of late October 2026.

Flu vaccine

CDC issued interim flu guidance for 2026-27 saying its July 2025 recommendations remain in effect. That means routine yearly flu vaccination for people 6 months and older. September or October is ideal, but getting vaccinated later is still worthwhile while flu is spreading.

For adults 65 and older, CDC prefers a high-dose, recombinant or adjuvanted flu vaccine. If none is available, any age-appropriate flu vaccine can be given. People with egg allergies can get any flu vaccine that fits their age. CDC also says eligible adults 18 to 49 may give themselves the FluMist nasal spray, and an adult caregiver may give it to children ages 2 to 17.

On September 2, 2026, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) issued joint guidance. It also recommends a yearly flu shot for adults and for children 6 months and older, with a high-dose vaccine for people 65 and older if available.

COVID-19 vaccine

On August 27, 2026, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved updated 2026-27 COVID-19 vaccines that target the XFG variant: Moderna's Spikevax and mNexspike, Pfizer-BioNTech's Comirnaty and Novavax's Nuvaxovid. FDA approved them for everyone 65 and older, and for younger people only if they have at least one condition that raises their risk of severe COVID-19, such as diabetes, asthma, heart or lung disease, cancer or pregnancy. The youngest approved age differs by brand.

Without an ACIP vote, there was no new federal recommendation for the 2026-27 COVID-19 vaccine as of the latest reports we found.

The joint guidance from AAP, AAFP, ACOG and IDSA goes further than FDA's approval. It recommends an updated COVID-19 vaccine every year for adults 19 to 64, and for adults 65 and older, a second dose six months after the first. AAP recommends COVID-19 vaccination for all children 6 to 23 months old and for higher-risk children 2 to 18. ACOG recommends COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy.

Because these groups recommend the vaccine for some people outside FDA's approved groups, what a pharmacy will give you can vary. Call ahead and ask.

RSV vaccine

RSV vaccines for adults are a one-time shot, not a yearly one. CDC recommends an RSV vaccine for everyone 75 and older, and for adults 50 to 74 who are at increased risk of severe RSV, such as people with chronic heart or lung disease, a weakened immune system or who live in a nursing home. If you already had an RSV vaccine, CDC says you should not get another at this time. Late summer and early fall are the best time, but you can get it any time of year.

The joint medical-group guidance matches this: one dose for adults 75 and older, and a possible dose for higher-risk adults 50 to 74. ACOG recommends RSV vaccination during pregnancy for eligible people, and AAP recommends RSV protection for babies under 8 months whose mothers were not vaccinated during pregnancy, and for some higher-risk children 8 to 19 months old.

Can you get them together?

ACOG says flu, COVID-19 and RSV vaccines can safely be given at the same visit during pregnancy. For everyone else, ask your doctor or pharmacist whether getting more than one shot at a time makes sense for you.

What Medicare covers

Medicare Part B covers the flu shot, and you pay nothing if your provider accepts assignment for giving the vaccine. Part B also covers FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccines at no cost when given by a participating provider.

RSV vaccines for adults are covered under Medicare Part D drug plans for people who meet ACIP recommendations, with no cost-sharing when your plan covers the vaccine. Use a pharmacy in your plan's network to avoid a bill. If you have a Medicare Advantage Plan, check its network rules too.

What private insurance covers

Under the Affordable Care Act, most private plans must cover ACIP-recommended vaccines without cost-sharing. AHIP, the main trade group for health insurers, says its member plans will keep covering all ACIP-recommended immunizations with no cost-sharing through the end of 2027.

That is a voluntary pledge by AHIP members, not a law, and not every plan is part of it. Before you go, call the number on your insurance card and ask whether the specific vaccine is covered at no cost where you plan to get it.

Where to get vaccinated and what to ask

Most people can get these vaccines at a doctor's office, a pharmacy, a clinic or a local health department. Confirm the location has the 2026-27 version of the vaccine you want and that it's in your plan's network.

Your own health, age, pregnancy status and past vaccines all matter. This article is general information, not medical advice. Talk with your doctor or pharmacist about which shots are right for you this season.