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Protect Your Child This Flu Season: What Parents Need to Know About the 2026–27 Flu Vaccine

As families get ready for a new school year, sports, activities, and time spent together indoors, it is also time to think about protecting children from seasonal influenza. At Pediatric Associates of Frisco, we encourage parents to make the annual flu vaccine part of their family's fall health routine.
For the 2026–27 flu season, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends annual influenza vaccination for all children 6 months of age and older who do not have a medical contraindication. The AAP recommends getting children vaccinated as soon as the vaccine is available, without a preference for one age-appropriate vaccine formulation over another.

Why Is the Flu Vaccine Recommended by the AAP?

Flu is more than a bad cold. Influenza can cause significant illness in children and can sometimes lead to complications, hospitalization, and, in severe cases, death. Young children—particularly those under 5 years old—and children with certain chronic health conditions are at increased risk for serious complications.

The AAP recommends annual vaccination because it is an important way to:

  • Reduce the risk of influenza illness
  • Reduce the risk of serious complications and hospitalization
  • Help protect children who may be more vulnerable to severe flu
  • Reduce the spread of influenza within families and communities
  • Help reduce missed school, activities, and work for parents and caregivers

Even healthy children can become seriously ill with influenza. Vaccination also helps protect babies younger than 6 months, who are too young to receive a flu vaccine themselves.

Why Is It Especially Important to Get Vaccinated This Season?

Every flu season is different. Influenza viruses change over time, which is why flu vaccines are updated each year.

For the 2026–27 season, all three components of U.S. seasonal influenza vaccines were updated compared with the 2025–26 vaccines. The updated vaccines are designed to provide protection against influenza viruses anticipated to circulate this season.

The previous 2025–26 season was also described by the AAP as another high-severity season for children, underscoring why flu prevention remains an important part of pediatric care.

Getting vaccinated before influenza activity increases gives your child’s immune system time to develop protection. CDC notes that it takes approximately two weeks after vaccination for the body to develop antibodies, although vaccination later in the season can still provide protection while flu viruses are circulating.

When Should My Child Get the Flu Vaccine?

The CDC recommends vaccination ideally by the end of October, but vaccination can still be beneficial later in the season as long as influenza viruses are circulating.

For some younger children, two doses are needed during the season.

Children 6 months through 8 years of age who are receiving influenza vaccine for the first time, who have previously received only one dose before July 1, 2026, or whose vaccination history is unknown should receive two doses at least four weeks apart. Your child’s pediatrician can review their vaccine history and determine whether one or two doses are needed.

What Parents Should Know About Flu Vaccines

  • The flu vaccine cannot give your child influenza.
    The injectable flu vaccine does not contain live influenza virus capable of causing influenza infection.
  • Mild side effects can happen.
    Some children may experience temporary soreness, redness, or swelling where the vaccine was given. Some may have a low-grade fever or feel tired or achy for a short period. These reactions are generally mild and temporary.
  • Flu vaccination can be given with other vaccines.
    The AAP supports giving the influenza vaccine at the same visit as other recommended childhood vaccines when appropriate.
  • There are different vaccine options.
    For children, influenza vaccination may be available as an injection or, for eligible children, as a nasal spray. Your pediatrician can help determine which age- and health-appropriate option is appropriate for your child.

What If My Child Still Gets the Flu?

No vaccine provides 100% protection against infection. However, vaccination can reduce the risk of flu illness and serious outcomes, and CDC notes that flu vaccination has also been shown to reduce the severity of illness among people who do become infected.

If your child develops symptoms of influenza—especially if they are very young, have an underlying medical condition, or develop severe or worsening symptoms—contact your pediatrician. Antiviral medications may be appropriate for certain children, and treatment is most effective when started promptly.

Make Flu Prevention Part of Your Fall Routine

The flu vaccine is one of the most important steps families can take to reduce the impact of influenza during the 2026–27 season. Along with vaccination, families can help prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses by washing hands regularly, covering coughs and sneezes, avoiding close contact with people who are sick, and keeping children home when they are ill.

At Pediatric Associates of Frisco, our goal is to help families navigate flu season with confidence and practical, evidence-based guidance.

-Trisha Patel APRN-CNP

Have questions about the flu vaccine or whether your child needs one or two doses? Talk with your child's pediatrician.

This information is for educational purposes and does not replace individualized medical advice from your child’s healthcare provider.

Source

American Academy of Pediatrics, Recommendations for Prevention and Control of Influenza in Children, 2026–2027; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2026–2027 Flu Season and Flu and Children.

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