By Dr. Noëlle Gabriel, PDC Pediatrics
As summer winds down and students return to the classroom, it's time for parents to start thinking about flu season. The American Academy of Pediatrics has released its updated recommendations for the 2025–2026 influenza season, and the message is clear: flu vaccination is essential.
Getting a flu vaccine for yourself and your child is a simple yet powerful way to protect your child and the community from serious illness. CHKD pediatricians recommend that all children 6 months and older get a flu shot every year.
Last flu season was one of the worst our country has experienced in recent years, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Fewer than half of children aged 6 months to 17 years received a flu vaccine last year, a significant drop from years past. The CDC reported 266 flu-related deaths in children – the highest number in any non-pandemic year since reporting started in 2004. Nationwide, many kids were hospitalized; some schools had to temporarily close due to outbreaks.
At CHKD, 50 children were hospitalized during the 2024-25 flu season, which runs from October to May. More than 7,000 kids were treated for the flu in our outpatient centers.
What’s New for 2025–2026?
Vaccination can begin as soon as the vaccine becomes available, and there is no preference for one product or formulation over another.
This season, all licensed flu vaccines in the U.S. will be trivalent, meaning they protect against three strains of the virus:
- Influenza A (H3N2) – updated
- Influenza A (H1N1) – unchanged
- Influenza B (Victoria lineage) – unchanged
What Parents Can Do
Here are a few proactive steps you can take to protect your child this flu season:
- Schedule your child’s flu shot early. Vaccination can begin as soon as doses are available. Don’t wait for flu activity to spike.
- Talk to your pediatrician. If you have questions or concerns about the vaccine, your child’s doctor can provide guidance tailored to your child’s health needs.
- Promote flu prevention at home. Encourage handwashing, cover coughs and sneezes (with the crook of your elbow, not your hands), and keep sick children home from school.
Let’s work together to make this flu season safer for everyone.
