Sept. 23, 2025
Keeping our vaccine recommendations reliable
and trustworthy
By Denée Moore, MD, FAAFP
and Marie-Elizabeth Ramas, MD, FAAFP
In a volatile time for public health, one thing hasn't changed: the way the AAFP came to this fall’s immunizations guidance for respiratory season. The AAFP’s immunization guidance remains reliable and trustworthy. Because year after year, the Academy adheres to a transparent, evidence-focused, member-driven process. As you’re reviewing the AAFP’s latest immunization schedule, we want to share how these schedules become reality.
How the Academy sets its immunization guidance
Out now: the AAFP’s 2025-26 immunization schedules: recommendations that demonstrate the Academy’s commitment to vaccine safety and public health
The AAFP’s rigorous process to determine immunization guidance starts with you.
Academy members elect the AAFP’s Congress of Delegates (COD). That body elects the Board of Directors, which in turn appoints a diverse array of family physicians, residents and students from all over the country to serve two-year terms (renewable once) on our eight commissions.
The Commission on Health of the Public and Science (CHPS)—where we’ve been pleased to serve terms through this year—each year closely examines federal immunization guidance to determine whether it reflects the latest evidence-based science and makes sense for family medicine. The members who bring their knowledge and experience to CHPS have been trained to critically appraise clinical recommendations on the strength of evidence behind them, their clinical relevance and their alignment with family medicine practice.
We dig into the details of recommendations issued by the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and from the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), using structured, standardized processes to arrive at our advice. Many sets of eyes see our work, ensuring that it’s vetted at multiple levels before we make our recommendation to the Board of Directors for its determination.
Following the development of our recommendations, the AAFP’s Board makes a final review. Then the latest recommendations are integrated into the immunization schedule shared with our members.
Our process and ACIP: What’s different in 2025
Usually, the external part of this routine runs smoothly: ACIP releases immunization recommendations along with corroborating evidence. This year, things unfolded differently.
ACIP issued some recommendations without immediately providing evidence to back them up. Other guidance came out piecemeal rather than all at once, as had been the norm.
These changes created hurdles for a commission expecting to do what it always does—evaluate the evidence in real time. They’ve also made the commission’s work more crucial.
Federal recommendations were made at different times and in different ways, and ACIP membership changed shortly before the June meeting. Once we had the evidence before us, we scrutinized it as thoroughly as we always have and worked with other medical specialty societies to understand how they were making their recommendations. In the end, the evidence led the AAFP to not agree with every ACIP recommendation.
Inside Family Medicine podcast: AAFP fall immunization recommendations
Hear Margot Savoy, MD, MPH, CPE, FAAFP; and Marie Ramas, MD, FAAFP, discuss the AAFP’s immunization recommendations for the 2025-26 respiratory season. The conversation includes detailed information about flu, COVID-19 and RSV vaccine recommendations across different age groups and scenarios.
Reducing confusion for you and your patients
When the AAFP makes a decision about immunization guidance (or any clinical guidance), you can trust that it comes from a thorough, evidence-based review. Still, we know that navigating recommendations that differ between the CDC and the AAFP and other medical societies can create challenges for family physicians as you work to counsel patients. To ensure that you have clear guidance and remain your patients’ trusted authority, the AAFP works closely with other medical organizations to share information, compare evidence reviews and find as much common ground as possible.
These coalitions, all centered on the science, ensure that our CHPS mission is uninterrupted. The commission’s work lets family physicians focus on providing the best care, supported by clear and consistent guidance.
Moving forward
This work doesn’t stop. As new data emerge and clinical guidelines evolve, CHPS members will continue to review, analyze and recommend, always with the mission of the Academy in mind. We will go on equipping family physicians with timely, trustworthy guidance to improve the health of every patient and community we serve.
Disclaimer
The opinions and views expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent or reflect the opinions and views of the American Academy of Family Physicians. This blog is not intended to provide medical, financial, or legal advice. All comments are moderated and will be removed if they violate our Terms of Use.