Seasonal Influenza Prevention & Control
Fall 2025-26 Immunization Recommendations
The AAFP has released our fall immunization recommendations, reinforcing our unwavering commitment to the health of communities across the country. As we navigate fall respiratory virus season and shifting federal guidelines, the AAFP urges all adults, children and families to stay up to date on recommended vaccines to keep themselves and their loved ones healthy.
“History shows us that vaccines have eradicated diseases that were disabling and deadly in the past, and we can keep it that way, if we continue to vaccinate,” said Margot Savoy, MD, MPH, FAAFP, chief medical officer of the AAFP. “Protecting public health is our collective responsibility. This fall and always, the AAFP stands with our members and public health partners to promote vaccine confidence and uptake.”
For full vaccine schedules, visit our Immunization and Vaccines page.
Inside Family Medicine Podcast
In this episode of CME on the Go, Dr. Jason Marker, Dr. Tamaan Osbourne-Roberts, and Dr. Lauren Brown-Berchtold discuss the importance of influenza vaccination. They share personal experiences, outline vaccine recommendations for various age groups, and address common safety concerns and myths about the flu vaccine. They emphasize the role family physicians play in preventing hospitalizations and deaths through effective vaccination campaigns. Listeners are encouraged to incorporate practical strategies for discussing vaccines with patients and to stay informed on the latest vaccine guidelines.
This CME podcast is supported by an educational grant to the AAFP from Seqirus. After listening to the podcast episode, claim 0.5 AAFP credit by following the provided link.
The AAFP has reviewed Let's Talk Flu Shots: Clearing the Air on Flu Vaccine Safety and deemed it acceptable for up to 0.50 Enduring Materials, Self-Study AAFP Prescribed credits. Term of Approval is from 12/8/2025 to 6/4/2027. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. The AAFP is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. The American Academy of Family Physicians designates this Enduring Materials for a maximum of 0.50 AMA PRA Category 1 credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. CME activities approved for AAFP credit are recognized by the AOA as equivalent to AOA Category 2 credit.
CDC Resources
- Influenza Vaccine Recommendations: Find clinical recommendations and resources on this season's influenza vaccine in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
- Information on Influenza Virus Testing, Treatment: Updated testing information and algorithms for influenza during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The resources for family physicians listed below were developed in partnership with AstraZeneca to promote the importance of annual influenza vaccination.
Influenza Vaccine Updates
Routine annual influenza vaccination of all persons aged ≥6 months who do not have contraindications continues to be recommended. Primary updates to this report include the following two topics:
- The composition of 2024-25 U.S. seasonal influenza vaccines
- Updated recommendations regarding influenza vaccination of persons with egg allergy
- The composition of 2024-25 U.S. influenza vaccines includes an update to the influenza A(H3N2) component. U.S.-licensed influenza vaccines will contain hemagglutinin (HA) derived from 1) an influenza A/Victoria/4897/2022 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus (for egg-based vaccines) or an influenza A/Wisconsin/67/2022 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus (for cell culture-based and recombinant vaccines, 2) an influenza A/Thailand/8/2022 (H3N2)-like virus (for egg-based vaccines) or an influenza A/Massachusetts/18/2022 (H3N2)-like virus (for cell culture-based and recombinant vaccines), and 3) an influenza B/Austria/1359417/2021 (Victoria lineage)-like virus (for egg-based, cell culture-based, and recombinant vaccines).
- ACIP recommends that all persons aged ≥6 months with egg allergy should receive influenza vaccine. Any influenza vaccine (egg based or nonegg based) that is otherwise appropriate for the recipient’s age and health status can be used. It is no longer recommended that persons who have had an allergic reaction to egg involving symptoms other than urticaria should be vaccinated in an inpatient or outpatient medical setting supervised by a health care provider who is able to recognize and manage severe allergic reactions if an egg-based vaccine is used. Egg allergy alone necessitates no additional safety measures for influenza vaccination beyond those recommended for any recipient of any vaccine, regardless of severity of previous reaction to egg. All vaccines should be administered in settings in which personnel and equipment needed for rapid recognition and treatment of acute hypersensitivity reactions are available.
- On the basis of review of evidence concerning high-dose inactivated influenza vaccine (HD-IIV), recombinant influenza vaccine (RIV), and MF59-adjuvanted inactivated influenza vaccine (aIIV), recommendations for influenza vaccination of persons aged ≥65 years have been modified. ACIP recommends that adults aged ≥65 years preferentially receive any one of the following higher dose or adjuvanted influenza vaccines: high-dose inactivated influenza vaccine (HD-IIV3), recombinant influenza vaccine (RIV3), or adjuvanted inactivated influenza vaccine (aIIV3). If none of these three vaccines is available at an opportunity for vaccine administration, then any other age-appropriate influenza vaccine should be administered Higher dose vaccines include HD-IIV and RIV, both of which contain a higher dose of HA antigen per virus than standard-dose vaccines (60 µg for HD-IIV3 and 45 µg for RIV3, compared with 15 µg for standard-dose inactivated vaccines). The adjuvanted vaccine contains 15 μg of HA per virus, similarly to nonadjuvanted SD-IIVs, but contains the adjuvant MF59.
Influenza Vaccine Additional Recommendations
Populations at Higher Risk for Medical Complications Attributable to Severe Influenza
All persons aged ≥6 months who do not have contraindications should be vaccinated annually. However, vaccination to prevent influenza is particularly important for persons who are at increased risk for severe illness and complications from influenza and for influenza-related outpatient, emergency department, or hospital visits. When vaccine supply is limited, vaccination efforts should focus on vaccination of persons at higher risk for medical complications attributable to severe influenza who do not have contraindications. These persons include the following (no hierarchy is implied by order of listing):
- All children aged 6 through 59 months.
- All persons aged ≥50 years.
- Adults and children who have chronic pulmonary (including asthma), cardiovascular (excluding isolated hypertension), renal, hepatic, neurologic, hematologic, or metabolic disorders (including diabetes mellitus).
- Persons who are immunocompromised due to any cause (including but not limited to immunosuppression caused by medications or HIV infection).
- Persons who are or will be pregnant during the influenza season.
- Children and adolescents (aged 6 months through 18 years) who are receiving aspirin- or salicylate-containing medications and who might be at risk for experiencing Reye syndrome after influenza virus infection.
- Residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities.
- American Indian or Alaska Native persons.
- Persons who are extremely obese (body mass index ≥40 for adults).