Children Should Get Flu Vaccine, Top Pediatrics Group Recommends

TUESDAY, Aug. 11, 2026 (HealthDay News) — All children ages 6 months or older without contraindications should be vaccinated against the flu, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) said in updated recommendations.

Vaccines reduce the risk of children and teens dying from flu by 80%, the AAP said in its Monday statement.

But for last flu season, fewer than half (49%) of kids ages 6 months to 17 years old were vaccinated against influenza, the AAP said, a rate similar to the season before that.

“The good news is flu vaccines have been thoroughly studied,” said Dr. Kristina Bryant, a member of the AAP Committee on Infectious Diseases, which wrote the policy statement and technical report accompanying it.

“We know they are safe in children and they can prevent not just hospitalizations and death but every year they prevent a substantial number of illnesses that result in trips to the doctor’s office,” Bryant said in a news release. “We want to keep kids healthy and going to school and parents healthy and going to work. Flu vaccines can help us accomplish that.” Bryant is a pediatrician and professor of pediatrics at the University of Louisville School of Medicine in Kentucky.

The AAP recommendation fills a void left by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which has not released new flu vaccine recommendations for the coming season, the academy noted.

“It's recommended to vaccinate everyone 6 months and older against flu each year to help protect them from flu and its complications,” the CDC site said, as of June 16. “Getting a flu vaccine can also help to reduce the overall spread of flu in the community.”

There were 190 child deaths during the 2025-2026 flu season, the AAP noted. Historically, about 85% of children who die of flu are not vaccinated. 

The CDC estimates that the flu vaccine prevented nearly 15,000 hospitalizations and 245 deaths in children during the 2024-2025 season.

Flu vaccines are expected to be covered by commercial insurance, as well as by the federal Vaccines for Children program, the AAP said.

Any licensed flu vaccine can be used, if it’s appropriate for a child’s age and health status, the AAP said.

Flu vaccination also is recommended for pregnant women to benefit both themselves and their babies, and vaccination while breastfeeding also protects both mom and child, the AAP added.

The AAP also recommends that children with the flu be given antiviral drugs if they are hospitalized, have severe illness or are at high risk for complications. The antiviral drug Xofluza (baloxavir marboxil) will be available as a generic in the upcoming season, which could make it more accessible and affordable for sick children.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on the Vaccines for Children program.

SOURCE: American Academy of Pediatrics, news release, Aug. 10, 2026