By this time of year, both the FDA and CDC normally have weighed in on fall respiratory virus vaccine recommendations. But given ongoing controversies over vaccination spurred by the Trump administration, a wrench has once again been thrown into the gears of that process.
The FDA has done its part, making recommendations about vaccine composition for influenza vaccines in March, followed by recommendations for COVID shots in May. But the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) hasn’t done its part as it hasn’t held its March or June meetings this year.
Typically, after the FDA meets, ACIP “then meets and makes recommendations about how to use those vaccines,” David Freedman, MD, professor emeritus of infectious diseases at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and spokesperson for the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), told Medpage Today.
That includes weighing which products are best for various age groups, and whether additional vaccine doses are needed for immunocompromised individuals, among other considerations, Freedman noted. “That was not done this year,” he said.
But clinicians shouldn’t worry, because medical groups have stepped in to fill the gaps. The IDSA, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) have issued guidance on fall respiratory virus shots and more, as the Trump administration has also tried to make significant changes to the pediatric immunization schedule.
At the same time, insurers have pledged to cover all recommended vaccines without cost-sharing through the end of 2027, Richard Hughes IV, MPH, legal counsel for AAP, said in an email in June.
There are some shades of gray, however, as the FDA approved the first mRNA flu shot (mFlusiva) from Moderna earlier this month. While the company has said its shot — approved for adults 50 and up — should be available for the upcoming 2026-2027 season, it’s unclear whether it will be written into recommendations.
Changes to pediatric vaccine recommendations have also been staved off for now, as a federal court decision from March halted efforts by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to cut the number of childhood vaccines.
According to the CDC’s website, that ruling also forced the agency to revert vaccination schedules to as they were before Kennedy revamped ACIP by ousting and replacing its members in June 2025.
Earlier this week, President Trump tried to cut the number of universally recommended childhood vaccines via an executive order that also recommended splitting the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine into its separate components. It also downgraded COVID and flu shots for kids to shared decision-making, as Kennedy had previously tried to do.
AAFP noted, however, that an executive order cannot change ACIP recommendations or CDC schedules.
Flor Munoz, MD, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, told MedPage Today that physicians are generally “going by [vaccine] guidance available before June 2025” when ACIP was reconstituted.
Munoz added that the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program, which provides vaccines to kids whose parents or guardians cannot afford them, should not be affected.
HHS did not respond to requests for comment about fall vaccination guidance or about an impact on the VFC program.
Although it appears fall respiratory virus vaccines will be available, experts are concerned about the wider impact of conflicting policies on vaccine uptake.
Freedman noted that confusion leads to a decline in vaccination rates, and the AAFP said in a statement that “continued efforts to undermine the safety and efficacy of vaccines are incredibly dangerous and will have grave consequences for children and families.”
“A concern that is real is, because of this confusion, people might not come and get their vaccines,” Munoz said.
