US Doctors Issue Fresh Flu, COVID-19, RSV Vaccine Guidance

A coalition of United States medical groups has issued new guidance on vaccines against influenza, COVID-19 and Respiratory Syncytial Virus amid delays in federal recommendations.

The guidance, released on Wednesday, is intended to provide clearer advice to Americans as the country’s traditional annual vaccine recommendation process faces disruption under the administration of President Donald Trump.

The coalition includes the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics, which issued recommendations covering flu, COVID-19 and RSV vaccines based on age groups and other factors, including pregnancy.

The development comes as the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention’s usual annual update has been disrupted by lawsuits over policy changes introduced under US Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr.

Medical associations have repeatedly opposed some of the Federal Government’s recent vaccination policy changes, arguing that they conflict with established scientific consensus.

The coalition also said recent scientific studies had raised no new health concerns about vaccines for the three respiratory viruses.

It cited an independent review conducted by the University of Minnesota’s Vaccine Integrity Project, which examined recent scientific evidence on vaccine safety.

“Patients need and deserve vaccine recommendations that are clear, credible, and based on the best available scientific evidence, so they can make informed vaccine decisions for themselves and for their families,” AMA president-elect Sandra Fryhofer told a press conference.

The Federal Government has so far issued guidance only on influenza, extending its 2025 recommendations.

Vaccination rates in the US have declined since the COVID-19 pandemic amid a subsequent rise in vaccine misinformation.

Kennedy has also overseen major changes to the country’s vaccination policy since last year, including ending the recommendation that all newborns receive the hepatitis B vaccine and changing recommendations concerning COVID-19 and measles vaccines.

However, several of the measures were suspended in March by a federal judge, who ruled that the government had failed to follow science-based methods.

The ruling has also affected the work of the expert panel responsible for advising the CDC on vaccination recommendations.