American Academy of Pediatrics Releases Influenza Vaccine Recommendations for 2025-26 Season

Pediatricians recommend influenza vaccine for all children 6 months and older this year, observing that the U.S. experienced a severe 2024-25 influenza season. Any vaccine appropriate for age and health status can be used.

ITASCA, IL--The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children and teens receive an annual influenza vaccine this fall to keep them healthy and active in the classroom as they begin a new school year.

An AAP policy statement, “Recommendations for Prevention and Control of Influenza in Children, 2025– 2026,” recommends that all people ages 6 months and older are vaccinated to protect against flu and keep their communities safe. The statement and an accompanying technical report are prepublished online in Pediatrics Monday, July 28. As a prepublication, the policies have undergone peer review and been accepted for publication but are not the final version of record. Both policies will be published in the October 2025 Pediatrics.

“Children are more likely to get sick during the school year because they are in such close proximity to each other in class, over lunch and in play areas,” said Kristina Bryant, MD, FAAP, a member of the AAP Committee on Infectious Diseases.

“Getting children vaccinated is like giving their immune system a book that teaches their bodies to recognize and resist a disease. Immunized kids are healthier kids who can focus on growing, playing, and learning.”

Policy statements and technical reports created by AAP are written by medical experts, reflect the latest evidence in the field, and go through several rounds of peer review before being approved by the AAP Board of Directors and published in Pediatrics. 

The 2024–2025 influenza season was an especially high-severity season for persons of all ages, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC reported 253 influenza-related pediatric deaths through June 21,2025. Of those, 42.7% occurred in children without a high-risk medical condition.

Historically, up to 80% of influenza-associated pediatric deaths have occurred in unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated children.

Children younger than 5 years are especially vulnerable to severe illness and hospitalizations or death due to influenza.

The AAP recommends:

• Any licensed influenza vaccine appropriate for age and health status can be administered, as soon as possible in the season, without preference for one product or formulation. These include inactivated (non-live) influenza vaccine (IIV) or recombinant influenza vaccine (RIV) and live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV), which is a nasal spray.
• Children 6 months to 8 years of age should receive two doses if this is the first time they are being vaccinated against influenza, or if they have only received one dose of flu vaccine ever before July 1. The doses are given four weeks apart.
• Influenza vaccine should be offered to children as soon as it becomes available, especially to those recommended to receive 2 doses. The recommended dose(s) ideally should be received by the end of October for optimal protection before the influenza season.
• Influenza vaccination should not be delayed to obtain a specific product, including a thimerosal-free product. The safety of thimerosal-containing vaccines is discussed in the technical report and in this AAP Factchecked article.
• Influenza vaccine is recommended for all pregnant individuals, during any trimester of gestation, to protect against influenza and its complications. When given during pregnancy, the vaccine protects the newborn in the first months of life (up to 6 months) through transplacental passage of antibodies.
• LAIV should not be used for immunocompromised persons and persons with certain chronic medical conditions.

The policy statement also discusses treatment for influenza. Parents with concerns about a child’s sickness should contact their pediatrician for guidance.

Flu symptoms often include fever, chills; headache, body aches, fatigue; sore throat; dry, hacking cough; stuffy, runny nose; vomit; and loose stools.

“Each year, it is possible that flu, COVID-19, and other common viruses will spread at the same time,” Dr. Bryant said. “Sometimes, the vaccine is not an exact match with the strains in the community. But the vaccine still can protect against serious illness.”

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The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.