For parents of school-aged children, the fall to-do list can seem ever-growing. Buy school supplies. Fill out endless school forms. Block off parent-teacher nights. Do the kids\u2019 tennis shoes still fit?<\/p>\n
Somewhere, at some point, you might remember flu shots. Get your flu shot. Get their<\/em> flu shots. Or should you? Can you? Is that still a thing?<\/p>\n Amid political chatter about vaccines and the government entities that oversee them, it\u2019s understandable to wonder where all this leaves the 2025-26 flu vaccine.<\/p>\n In short: Yes, the flu shot is still a thing. And four doctors we spoke to said they recommend you get your flu shot this year. (See the source list below this article.)<\/p>\n Here are some answers to common questions:<\/p>\n Q: I heard the Trump administration could be changing vaccine recommendations. Does that apply to the flu vaccine?<\/strong><\/p>\n There have been no substantial changes to the federal government\u2019s flu vaccine recommendation: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still says<\/a> that people 6 months old<\/a> and up should get an annual flu vaccine.<\/p>\n That means most insurers will cover it, and it should soon be widely available.<\/p>\n Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has opposed vaccines, agreed that most people should get the flu vaccine<\/a>. He followed a recommendation from the board that advises the federal government on vaccine policy; Kennedy replaced the members with his own.<\/p>\n The panel voted against recommending multidose flu shots that contained the preservative thimerosal, but the preservative had already been removed<\/a> from most vaccines, including most flu shots.<\/p>\n Q: Who should not get the flu shot?<\/strong><\/p>\n Doctors acknowledged there are always exceptions to broad guidance. For example, people with severe allergies<\/a> to flu vaccine components should not get vaccines that contain those components.<\/p>\n You should discuss your health situation with your physician for personalized guidance.<\/p>\n Q: Is this season\u2019s flu shot different from last season\u2019s?<\/strong><\/p>\n Yes. The flu shot was updated for the upcoming flu season, but the changes weren\u2019t drastic<\/a>. Like last year\u2019s flu shot, this year\u2019s vaccine is known as a three-component or trivalent vaccine<\/a> that protects against three influenza viruses \u2014 two influenza A viruses and one influenza B virus.<\/p>\n This season\u2019s vaccine was altered to target a specific strain of the influenza A\/H3N2 virus expected to circulate this season, said Ryan Maves, a professor of medicine at Wake Forest University and a member of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. Those changes align<\/a> with what the World Health Organization has recommended<\/a>.<\/p>\n Q: When is the best time to get vaccinated?<\/strong><\/p>\n September, October, or early November. This allows your body time to build up<\/a> its protective antibodies as flu season begins and ensures your protection doesn\u2019t wane before it ends.<\/p>\n In the U.S., influenza infection typically peaks in February, so you want to make sure you\u2019re vaccinated and your protection is still strong through February and into March, said William Schaffner, a professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.<\/p>\n Q: Is this season\u2019s flu vaccine guaranteed to protect against the influenza strain that\u2019s circulating?<\/strong><\/p>\n Guarantee all protection? No.<\/p>\n Reduce risk of death? Yes.<\/p>\n Similar to the covid-19 vaccine, flu vaccines are best at \u201cprotecting us from the most severe consequences of influenza,\u201d Schaffner said. That means the flu vaccine is most effective at keeping people out of the hospital or the intensive care unit and keeping people from dying.<\/p>\n \u201cA flu vaccine may not guarantee perfect protection against the flu, but skipping your flu shot simply guarantees you\u2019ll have no protection at all,\u201d said Benjamin Lee, a pediatric infectious diseases physician at the University of Vermont Children\u2019s Hospital and an associate professor at the University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine.<\/p>\n Q: Will the flu shot be readily available this year?<\/strong><\/p>\n All signs point to yes.<\/p>\n The FDA passed its formula recommendations to vaccine manufacturers March 13 \u2014 early enough that the agency expected there would be \u201can adequate and diverse supply<\/a>.\u201d The people and places that administer flu shots should have them soon, typically beginning in September, said Flor Mu\u00f1oz, a Baylor College of Medicine associate professor of pediatrics and infectious diseases.<\/p>\n Q: I heard Kennedy canceled $500 million in funding<\/a> for vaccine development. Could this affect future flu vaccines?<\/strong><\/p>\n Kennedy announced the cancellation of funding<\/a> for mRNA vaccine development. Some companies have been researching combined mRNA flu and covid<\/a> shots, but there are currently no approved mRNA flu vaccines.<\/p>\n Still, experts said the federal government\u2019s changes \u2014 funding cuts, vaccine committee purges<\/a>, deviations<\/a> from existing procedures \u2014 are increasing uncertainty.<\/p>\n\n Interview with Flor Mu\u00f1oz, an associate professor of pediatrics and infectious diseases at Baylor College of Medicine, Aug. 4, 2025.<\/p>\n Interview with Ryan Maves, a professor of medicine at Wake Forest University and the medical director of the transplant Infectious Diseases Program at Wake Forest University, Aug. 4, 2025.<\/p>\n Interview with William Schaffner, a professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Aug. 4, 2025.<\/p>\n Email interview with Benjamin Lee, a pediatric infectious diseases physician at the University of Vermont Children\u2019s Hospital and an associate professor at the University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine, Aug. 3, 2025.<\/p>\n PolitiFact, \u201cWhat Is the Vaccine Preservative Thimerosal? What To Know About It and Its Removal From Flu Vaccines<\/a>,\u201d June 26, 2025.<\/p>\n Pharmacy Times, \u201cACIP Recommends Adults Receive Seasonal, Single-Dose Influenza Vaccines Free of Thimerosal<\/a>,\u201d June 26, 2025.<\/p>\n CNN, \u201cAfter Canceling Meeting of Independent Advisers, FDA Issues 2025-26 Flu Vaccine Recommendations<\/a>,\u201d March 13, 2025.<\/p>\n PolitiFact, \u201cRFK Jr. Fired Everyone on a Key Vaccine Panel. Here\u2019s Who He Replaced Them With,<\/a>\u201d June 18, 2025.<\/p>\n World Health Organization, \u201cRecommended Composition of Influenza Virus Vaccines for Use in the 2025-2026 Northern Hemisphere Influenza Season<\/a>,\u201d Feb. 28, 2025.<\/p>\n Food and Drug Administration, \u201cInfluenza Vaccine Composition for the 2025-2026 U.S. Influenza Season<\/a>,\u201d March 13, 2025.<\/p>\n The Infectious Diseases Society of America, \u201cStatement on Cancellation of FDA Vaccine Advisory Committee Meeting<\/a>,\u201d 2025.<\/p>\n Pharmacy Times, \u201cUnderstand the 2025-2026 Flu Vaccine Composition Recommendations<\/a>,\u201d April 2, 2025.<\/p>\n CIDRAP, \u201cFDA Announces Flu Strain Picks For Next Season\u2019s Vaccines<\/a>,\u201d March 14, 2025.<\/p>\n U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, \u201cSeasonal Flu Vaccine Basics<\/a>,\u201d Sept. 17, 2024.<\/p>\n U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, \u201cAdult Immunization Schedule by Age (Addendum updated July 2, 2025)<\/a>,\u201d July 2, 2025.<\/p>\n U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, \u201cChild and Adolescent Immunization Schedule by Age (Addendum updated July 2, 2025)<\/a>,\u201d July 2, 2025.<\/p>\n U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, \u201cTrivalent Influenza Vaccines,\u201d Sept. 10, 2024.<\/p>\n CNN, \u201cDisrupted US Vaccine Meetings Could Threaten Timelines, Access and Transparency Around Shots<\/a>,\u201d Feb. 28, 2025.<\/p>\n The Associated Press, \u201cRFK Jr. Cancels $500M in Funding for mRNA Vaccine Development<\/a>,\u201d Aug. 5, 2025.<\/p>\n NBC News, \u201cCDC Ends Covid Vaccine Recommendation for Healthy Kids and Pregnant Women<\/a>,\u201d May 27, 2025.<\/p>\n NBC News, \u201cWhy Is the Flu So Bad This Year?<\/a>\u201d Feb. 28, 2025.<\/p>\n U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, \u201cWeekly US Influenza Surveillance Report: Key Updates for Week 17, ending April 26, 2025<\/a>,\u201d May 2, 2025.<\/p>\n U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, \u201cACIP Recommendations<\/a>,\u201d Aug. 8, 2025.<\/p>\n MedPage Today, \u201cRFK Jr. Quietly Endorses Flu Vaccine for Kids and Adults<\/a>,\u201d Aug. 7, 2025.<\/p>\n The Associated Press, \u201cModerna Study Shows Immune Response in Older Adults for a Combo Flu and COVID-19 Shot<\/a>,\u201d May 7, 2025.<\/p>\n U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, \u201cHHS Winds Down mRNA Vaccine Development Under BARDA<\/a>,\u201d Aug. 5, 2025.<\/p>\n CBC, \u201cBreaking Down How a Massive U.S. Funding Cut Could Impact Future mRNA Vaccines<\/a>,\u201d Aug. 8, 2025.<\/p>\n NBC News, \u201cCould Flu Shot Supply Fall Short This Year? FDA\u2019s Canceled Meeting Sparks Worries<\/a>,\u201d Feb. 27, 2025.<\/p>\n Louisiana Blue, \u201cFlu Shot<\/a>,\u201d accessed Aug. 11, 2025.<\/p>\n Florida Blue, \u201cFlu and Other Respiratory Viruses<\/a>,\u201d accessed Aug. 11, 2025.<\/p>\n Aetna, \u201cVaccines and Health Screenings<\/a>,\u201d accessed Aug. 11, 2025.<\/p>\n UnitedHealthcare, \u201cFlu Shots: Frequently Asked Questions<\/a>,\u201d accessed Aug. 11, 2025.<\/p>\n U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, \u201cFlu Prevention: Information for Travelers<\/a>,\u201d accessed Aug. 11, 2025.<\/p>\n U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, \u201cWho Needs a Flu Vaccine<\/a>,\u201d accessed Aug. 11, 2025.<\/p>\n Cleveland Clinic, \u201cWhen Is the Best Time To Get Your Flu Shot?<\/a>\u201d Aug. 5, 2025.<\/p>\n\n KFF Health News<\/a> is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF\u2014an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF<\/a>.<\/p>\nSOURCES<\/h4>\n
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