“Do I really need another flu shot?”<
“Do I still need a COVID vaccine?”
“And when will we have one shot that covers both?”
The answers have changed somewhat—particularly when it comes to COVID vaccination.
The FAAC Recommendations
Influenza: For most people, yes—we continue to recommend a flu vaccine every year. The vaccine changes as influenza changes, and immunity from previous vaccination does not provide reliable protection for the next season.
COVID: This has become a more individualized decision. The potential benefit is greatest for older adults, people with immune problems and those at higher risk of serious COVID complications.
Combined flu/COVID vaccine: Promising and likely part of the future, but not yet a routine U.S. option.
Vaccination decisions should be based on your individual medical history and risk—not simply on what you did last year. If you’re not sure what is right for you or your child, ask us.
Keep reading to understand why we think the above recommendations are best.
Why do we still recommend a flu shot every year?
Influenza changes from year to year. The strains circulating this winter may be different from those we saw last year, which is why the flu vaccine is reviewed and updated each season.
Protection from the vaccine also gradually decreases over time.
For the 2026–2027 influenza season, annual flu vaccination continues to be recommended for everyone 6 months of age and older who does not have a contraindication.
For many FAAC patients, influenza prevention is particularly important. Flu can cause significant complications in people with asthma, chronic lung disease, immune deficiencies and other underlying medical conditions.
What about getting a flu shot year after year?
You may have heard questions about whether receiving influenza vaccine every year eventually makes the vaccine less effective.
This has been studied. Some research suggests that previous vaccination can influence the immune response to a future flu vaccine, particularly with certain influenza strains such as H3N2. Researchers continue to study this phenomenon.
However, the available evidence does not support intentionally skipping years of influenza vaccination. Influenza strains change, immunity wanes, and vaccination continues to reduce the risk of influenza and, importantly, serious influenza-related illness. CDC therefore continues to recommend vaccination every season.
What about the COVID vaccine?
This is where the conversation has changed.
COVID vaccination is no longer simply an automatic “everyone needs another dose” recommendation. Current CDC guidance recommends individual-based or shared clinical decision-making, recognizing that the benefit of vaccination is greater for some people than others.
At FAAC, we think that makes sense.
We are more likely to recommend an updated COVID vaccine for someone who is:
- older,
- immunocompromised,
- living with significant chronic medical or lung disease,
- or otherwise at increased risk of serious complications from COVID.
For a healthy younger person who has already been vaccinated and has had previous COVID infections, the decision may be more individualized.
In other words, rather than simply asking “Is it time for my COVID shot?”, we encourage patients to ask:
“Based on my age, health history, immune system and previous COVID history, how much am I likely to benefit from another vaccine?”
What's new with the 2026 COVID vaccine?
COVID vaccines continue to be updated as the virus changes.
In May 2026, the FDA’s vaccine advisory committee recommended that the 2026–2027 COVID vaccines target the XFG variant of the JN.1 lineage. These updated vaccines are intended for use beginning in fall 2026.
Because these are newly updated vaccines, we will continue to follow FDA and CDC recommendations as the fall respiratory season approaches.
Another first: an mRNA flu vaccine
This is also something completely new this year.
In August 2026, the FDA approved MFLUSIVA, the first mRNA influenza vaccine approved in the United States. It is currently approved for adults 50 years and older.
It gives us another influenza vaccine option and may represent an important step toward vaccines that can be updated more efficiently as respiratory viruses change.
Can I get one shot for both COVID and flu?
We’re getting closer.
A combined mRNA influenza/COVID vaccine called mCombriax (mRNA-1083) has been studied in adults age 50 and older. In a large randomized clinical trial, the combination vaccine produced immune responses that compared favorably with separately administered influenza and COVID vaccines.
European regulators recommended authorization of mCombriax in 2026 for adults 50 and older.
A combined flu/COVID vaccine is not yet available as a routine vaccination option in the United States, but this is an area we expect to continue to evolve.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ACIP Recommendations Summary: Influenza Vaccination, 2026–2027.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2026–2027 Flu Season: Vaccine Composition.
- Matz HC, et al. Vaccination against influenza viruses annually: Renewing immunity or diminishing returns? Journal of Experimental Medicine. 2025.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2025–2026 COVID-19 Vaccination Guidance: Individual-Based Decision-Making.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. COVID-19 Vaccines: 2026–2027 Formula for Use in the United States Beginning Fall 2026. May 2026.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. MFLUSIVA (Influenza Vaccine, mRNA). Approved August 5, 2026.
- Spergel AKR, et al. Immunogenicity and Safety of Influenza and COVID-19 Combination Vaccine. 2025.
- European Medicines Agency. mCombriax—Combined Influenza and COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine. 2026.
Updated August 2026. Vaccine recommendations and product availability may change as additional FDA and CDC guidance is released.