Updated 2025 fall vaccine guide

Finally. After a series of stalled dominoes in the fall vaccine rollout, Monday marked the last step (CDC Director signed off), and we’re officially back on track: RSV, flu, and Covid-19 vaccines are now available to all.

Things have been changing fast, and media headlines haven’t exactly helped (many have been confusing or flat-out wrong). So I’ve pulled everything together for you in one place: an updated guide to the 2025 fall vaccines—what, when, and why—along with answers to top questions and useful resources for you and your community.

There are nuances for those seeking ultimate protection, but in the end, the best vaccine is the one you get!

A guide to fall 2025 vaccines

This post builds on a previous YLE that takes a deeper dive into all the options (the who, what, when, and why). Start HERE if you missed it!

Below is a high-level summary. You can download the PDF at the end of this post.

Updates since last month:

• Covid-19 vaccination is now recommended by the federal government and professional organizations for everyone over age 6 months.

  • CDC’s recommendation is slightly different from last year’s; it now includes language referred to as “individual decision making” or “shared clinical decision making” (SCDM). This is what doctors and pharmacists already do—empower you to make the best, evidence-informed decisions. Historically, SCDM has been used for vaccines that aren’t routinely recommended for everyone. For example, adults deciding whether to get catch-up HPV vaccines for themselves use this approach, since the benefits may be smaller with age but are still worthwhile for some. This year, HHS added this statement for all Covid-19 vaccines to make it seem like they were giving choice back to individuals, even though they’ve had it all along. In practice, the SCDM language update makes little to no difference to you.

  • Clinicians: If you have questions about SCDM, visit HERE for an in-depth explainer.

• Flu vaccine: No changes have been made since the last update. However, we do have great news: CDC reported that the vaccine this year had a 50% effectiveness against hospitalization in the Southern Hemisphere. Every year, we have to make an educated guess on what flu strains to include. It’s an art and a science, so sometimes the vaccine formula doesn’t always align perfectly with the circulating virus. However, we live in the Northern Hemisphere, which has an advantage: