US medical groups issue vaccine guidance, urge jabs for flu, COVID and RSV

What the report says

A coalition of major US medical organizations, including the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics, has issued its own vaccine guidance for respiratory illnesses, urging people to stay current on shots for influenza, COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Al Jazeera reported that the advice was released on Wednesday, 3 September 2026, amid what the groups described as gaps and confusion in federal recommendations.

The coalition said its review of the evidence shows these vaccines still offer meaningful protection against severe disease, hospitalisation and death. Its recommendations vary by age and circumstance, including pregnancy. The guidance calls for annual flu vaccination for everyone six months and older, updated COVID-19 vaccines for healthy adults, young children and pregnant women, and RSV immunisations for older adults, pregnant women and children younger than eight months.

According to the report, the move comes as US vaccine policy has been in flux under President Donald Trump’s administration and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, who has pushed changes opposed by many medical groups. A federal judge has also suspended some administration measures, complicating the work of the CDC’s advisory process. The organizations said they wanted to provide clear, science-based advice while official recommendations remain unsettled.

Al Jazeera also cited CDC estimates showing influenza caused the heaviest burden among the three viruses in the most recent respiratory season, with substantial cases, hospitalisations and deaths, underscoring why the groups say updated vaccination remains important.