A coalition of leading US health organizations has urged Americans to get updated flu and COVID-19 vaccines and issued its own guidance, stepping in to fill a gap left by changing federal recommendations.
The alliance, which includes the American Medical Association (AMA) and the American Academy of Pediatrics, released respiratory virus vaccination guidance on Wednesday. The guidance covers respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and varies by age group and other factors such as pregnancy status.
“The latest high-quality scientific evidence shows that these vaccines continue to provide meaningful protection against severe illness, hospitalization, and death,” the groups said.
The coalition said it hopes to reduce “confusion and chaos” caused by the absence of updated vaccination recommendations, noting that recent scientific studies have raised no new health concerns about vaccines for these viruses.
“Patients need and deserve clear, trustworthy vaccination recommendations grounded in the best available science so they can make informed decisions for themselves and their families,” said Dr. Sandra Fryhofer, the new AMA president, at a press conference.
She said the coalition’s independent review process has been published online so that “the public has clear, consistent, science-based guidance even as the federal process is in flux.”
Typically, these recommendations come from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and its independent advisers. However, the Trump administration, in a sweeping overhaul of vaccine policy that began last year, has withdrawn several long-standing recommendations for virus protection and routine childhood immunizations, including hepatitis B shots for newborns and COVID-19 vaccines for Americans aged six months and older.
Medical associations have repeatedly objected to the moves under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vaccine skeptic, saying they run counter to scientific consensus.
A federal judge has since blocked many of the administration’s actions, ruling in March that the federal government had disregarded science-based methods. The decision hampered the work of the expert panel that advises the CDC on vaccine recommendations.
This year, the federal government has issued guidance only for the flu, extending last year’s recommendation.
The health groups’ guidance on Wednesday recommends annual flu shots for everyone six months and older, as well as updated COVID-19 vaccines for healthy adults, young children, and pregnant women. It also recommends RSV vaccination for older adults, pregnant women, and children under eight months.
During the 2025-2026 respiratory virus season, flu had the highest burden of the three viruses, with an estimated 32 to 52 million cases, 390,000 hospitalizations, and 24,000 deaths in the US, according to CDC estimates.
COVID-19 accounted for about 4.6 million to 12.9 million cases in the same period, with 140,000 to 240,000 hospitalizations and 15,000 to 42,000 deaths, according to preliminary CDC estimates.
RSV caused an estimated 2.8 million to 5.8 million outpatient visits, 170,000 to 340,000 hospitalizations, and up to 25,000 deaths. Flu and COVID-19 burdens declined compared with the previous season, while RSV activity remained relatively stable.
