Immunizations: Urgent Call as CDC Campaign Goes Silent

Image Source: The New York Times

Immunizations are at the center of an urgent new appeal from leading U.S. medical organizations as the country approaches another respiratory virus season. The groups are encouraging most Americans to receive recommended flu, COVID and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccines, even as the Trump administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have not released a broad public campaign for the coming season.

The guidance was issued on Wednesday by the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the Infectious Diseases Society of America. The University of Minnesota’s Vaccine Integrity Project also participated in the effort.

Immunizations Gain Powerful Backing from Medical Leaders

The recommendations arrive amid growing concern about declining vaccination rates and weakening public confidence in health institutions. Alongside the guidance, the consortium published research summaries examining the safety and effectiveness of respiratory vaccines.

“Americans should have access to the best available scientific evidence and recommendations from the physicians and medical experts who care for them,” Bruce Gellin, a member of the Vaccine Integrity Project’s board of advisers and an adjunct professor at Georgetown University, said during a press briefing.

Gellin added that the absence of a federal vaccine policy effort should not lower the standard of scientific evidence available to the public. His comments reflect concerns among health professionals that uncertainty from Washington could make it harder for families to determine which vaccines they need and when to receive them.

COVID-19 Risks Remain Significant

Although COVID-19 is generally less dangerous today than it was during the height of the pandemic, it continues to cause severe illness and death. During the 2025–2026 respiratory virus season, an estimated 15,000 to 42,000 people in the United States died from COVID-19. As many as 240,000 people were hospitalized, while millions more experienced less severe infections.

A research review published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that updated COVID vaccines reduced hospitalization risk by 53 percent among adults age 65 and older. The vaccines reduced hospitalization risk among pregnant women by 58 percent, with evidence suggesting that protection may also benefit their babies.

Immunocompromised adults experienced a 32 to 53 percent reduction in the risk of intensive care admission or death, according to the review. These findings led medical groups to emphasize that vaccination remains especially important for older adults, pregnant people, infants and those with underlying health conditions.

Flu and RSV Vaccines Offer Critical Protection

Influenza remains the leading cause of vaccine-preventable respiratory illness in the United States. The consortium’s review found that flu vaccines reduce hospitalization rates among adults older than 65 by 31 percent. The shots also reduce deaths among infants and children by 80 percent.

RSV protection is similarly important for older adults and young infants. The review found that RSV vaccines can reduce hospitalization rates by up to 83 percent among people older than 60. Vaccination during pregnancy can reduce hospitalization among infants by as much as 70 percent.

• COVID vaccines reduced hospitalization risk for older adults by 53 percent.
• COVID vaccination reduced hospitalization risk for pregnant women by 58 percent.
• Flu vaccines reduced hospitalization among older adults by 31 percent.
• RSV vaccines reduced hospitalization among older adults by up to 83 percent.

Uncertainty Surrounds CDC Campaign and Vaccine Access

The CDC typically launches an annual campaign promoting flu and COVID vaccination. This year, however, the agency had not rolled out a comparable public effort as of September 2. The CDC also did not immediately respond to a request for comment, according to Scientific American.

The agency continues to recommend flu and COVID vaccination for most Americans, including pregnant women and healthy children. However, those recommendations appear increasingly at odds with vaccine-skeptical positions associated with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other administration officials.

Andrew Racine, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, warned that policy changes could make access more difficult for some families. He said it remains unclear whether the federal Vaccines for Children Program will continue covering all recommended vaccines for families unable to afford them.

Racine noted that most U.S. children are still vaccinated and that many parents prefer receiving medical information from pediatricians. Still, he acknowledged that vaccination trends are moving in an undesirable direction.

For families, health officials recommend discussing personal vaccine needs with a physician or pediatrician, particularly when caring for infants, older adults, pregnant people or anyone with a weakened immune system. The medical groups’ message is direct: reliable information and timely immunizations remain essential, regardless of changes in federal messaging.

Frequently Asked Questions About Immunizations

Which vaccines are medical groups urging Americans to receive?

The groups are urging most people to follow medical guidance on flu, COVID-19 and RSV vaccines. Individual recommendations can vary according to age, pregnancy, medical history and immune status.

How effective are COVID vaccines for older adults?

The research review cited by the medical groups found that COVID vaccination reduced hospitalization risk by 53 percent among adults older than 65.

Why are RSV vaccines important?

RSV can cause serious respiratory illness in older adults and infants. Vaccines reduced hospitalization among adults older than 60 by up to 83 percent, while vaccination during pregnancy reduced infant hospitalization by up to 70 percent.

Will children’s vaccines remain covered by the Vaccines for Children Program?

Andrew Racine said future coverage remains uncertain. The program covered recommended vaccines last year, but officials have not confirmed whether that policy will continue.