Top Medical Organizations Step In With Coordinated Guidance
This fall’s respiratory vaccine recommendations are not coming from the CDC. Due to ongoing litigation, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has not issued updated COVID-19 or RSV guidance for 2026-27. In response, four leading medical organizations (the AAFP, AAP, ACOG, and IDSA) released their own evidence-based recommendations in September 2026, supported by the AMA’s Vaccine Integrity Project. The science has not changed. The process for issuing guidance has.
Respiratory illness is one of the most common reasons travelers get sick during or after a trip. Fall and winter travel season coincides directly with peak circulation of all three viruses (Flu, COVID-19, and RSV).
Who should get vaccinated
- Flu: everyone aged 6 months and older. Adults 65 and older should receive a high-dose or adjuvanted formulation.
- COVID-19: all adults 19 and older, all infants 6 to 23 months, and older children at risk for severe disease. Adults 65 and older need a second dose at least 6 months later.
- RSV: all adults 75 and older, adults 50 to 74 with high-risk conditions, and immunocompromised adults 18 and older. Infants under 8 months should receive RSV antibody protection if the mother was not vaccinated during pregnancy.
- Pregnant women have specific recommendations for all three. Talk to your provider about timing relative to your due date and travel plans.
How to protect yourself
- Aim for your flu shot by mid to late October for the best protection through the season.
- For standard flu alongside your travel vaccines, we have you covered at TravelBug Health.
Questions or concerns?
Contact us at TravelBug Health. We stock the standard flu shot for ages 6 months to 64 alongside our full range of travel vaccines. If you have a trip coming up, schedule your flu shot and pre-travel consultation together and take care of everything in one visit. For COVID-19, RSV, and high-dose flu for adults 65 and older, your doctor’s office or local pharmacy can help.
Resources:
- Vaccine Integrity Project: 2026-27 Respiratory Season
- AMA: Flu, COVID-19, RSV Guidance
- Johns Hopkins: 2026-27 Vaccine Recommendations
