Top US docs offer updated flu, COVID vax recommendations

Leading US medical groups are urging people to get updated flu and COVID-19 vaccinations this fall, banding together Wednesday to issue shot guidelines – and highlight the science behind them – saying they hope to ease confusion caused by the Trump administration’s changing advice.

Flu vaccinations are beginning and COVID-19 shots are starting to arrive after the US Food and Drug Administration approved this year’s updated versions last week. Winter also brings another vaccine-preventable risk called RSV. Exactly who should get one or all of these vaccines, and when?

That advice usually comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with help from its independent advisers. But despite no new scientific evidence, Trump health officials last year began pulling back on some longstanding recommendations for fall virus protection and routine children’s vaccinations. And that advisory panel, which influences state and insurance vaccine policies, is caught in a court battle. The CDC didn’t respond to questions about any new fall guidance but suggested on its website that doctors follow last year’s flu recommendations.