Wednesday, January 14, 2026- Federal health officials have dropped the long‑standing recommendation that all children routinely receive the annual flu shot, instead urging “shared clinical decision-making” between parents and healthcare providers about whether a child should be vaccinated.
This change was part of a broader shift in childhood vaccine guidance that also affects other shots previously recommended for all kids. The result? Pediatricians can’t hold large drive‑thru flu clinics like in past seasons because each child’s vaccination now requires an individual conversation, adding confusion for families and practices.
The timing of this shift has alarmed doctors, parents, and public health experts because it comes in the midst of one of the worst influenza seasons in years. Doctor visits for flu‑like illness across the U.S. are at their highest level in nearly three decades, and children remain among those at greatest risk for severe complications and hospitalization.
Pediatricians report seeing thousands of young patients seriously ill with the flu, including pediatric deaths so far this season, and worry that lowering the prominence of the flu shot recommendation will discourage vaccination when it’s needed most.
Acting CDC leadership has defended the new policy by saying that flu vaccination decisions should be tailored to individual children rather than universally applied. But critics including infectious disease specialists and former CDC officials warn that this approach could reduce overall vaccination rates, leaving more children vulnerable during a raging flu season and undermining established public health practices.
With flu hospitalizations and pediatric deaths rising, many pediatricians continue to urge parents to vaccinate their children, stressing that flu shots remain a key tool in preventing severe disease.
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