Interim Estimates of 2025–26 Seasonal Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness — United States, September 2025–February 2026
In the United States, annual influenza vaccination has been recommended for all persons aged ≥6 months, including during the 2025-26 season. Interim influenza vaccine effectiveness (VE) estimates were calculated for patients with acute respiratory illness-associated outpatient visits and hospitalizations from three U.S. respiratory virus VE networks during the 2025-26 influenza season, using a test-negative case-control design. Among children and adolescents aged <18 years, VE was 38%-41% against influenza outpatient visits and 41% against influenza-associated hospitalization. Among adults aged ≥18 years, VE was 22%-34% against influenza outpatient visits and 30% against influenza-associated hospitalization. Among children and adolescents, VE against influenza A ranged from 37% (against outpatient visits) to 42% (against hospitalization) across settings; among adults, VE against influenza A ranged from 30% (against hospitalization) to 34% (against outpatient visits) across settings. Among children and adolescents, VE against influenza A(H3N2)-associated outpatient visits was 35% and against influenza A(H3N2)-associated hospitalization was 38%. VE against influenza B outpatient visits ranged from 45%-71% among children and adolescents and was 63% among adults. Other estimates of VE were not statistically significant or were not reportable. Although interim influenza VE is lower during the 2025-26 influenza season than it was during recent influenza seasons, these findings demonstrate that influenza vaccination still provides protection against influenza. CDC recommends influenza vaccination; U.S. influenza vaccines remain available for persons aged ≥6 months.
Authors
- Elie Saade (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2514-3820)
- Brendan Flannery (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5041-308X)
- Danielle M. Zerr (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2944-7554)
- Ousseny Zerbo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8380-6215)
- Caitlin Ray (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6740-936X)
- Varsha Neelam (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9900-3567)
- Stacey L. House (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1161-4529)
- Sara Y. Tartof (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2336-8476)
- Nicola P. Klein (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1777-4814)
- Malini B. DeSilva (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3705-1672)
- Joanna L. Kramer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-0727-0810)
- Olivia L. Williams (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7433-655X)
- Ayzsa Tannis (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0396-0264)
- Sascha Ellington (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5584-5006)
- Karen J. Wernli (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7945-0327)
- Colin Rogerson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5251-2399)
- Kiran A. Faryar (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8466-9796)
- Lora Nordstrom
- Lisa M. Keong (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8211-659X)
- Christina Albertin
- Omobosola Akinsete
- Sifang Kathy Zhao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9019-2186)
- Kristina Wielgosz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6006-5963)
- Nathaniel M. Lewis (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7088-9640)
- Elizabeth Wettick
- Kristin Dascomb (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7422-060X)
- Brianna Wickersham
- Tamara Sheffield
- Haris M. Ahmad
- Brian D. Williamson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7024-548X)
- Vel Murugan
- Leah Odame-Bamfo
- Heidi L. Moline
- Michelle A. Barron
- Jennifer E. Schuster
- Jay Krishnan
- John K. Williams
- Richard K. Zimmerman
- Lina S. Sy
- Daniel C. Payne
- Brian E. Dixon
- Mary A. Staat
- Laura S. Stewart
- Jessie R. Chung
- Duck-Hye Yang
- Natalie A. B. Bontrager
- Aleda M. Leis
- Taylor Kristicevich
- Sarah W. Ball
- Fatimah S. Dawood
- Allison L. Naleway
- Emily L. Reeves
- CDC Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness Collaborators
- Megan C. Freeman
- David Mayer
- Janet A. Englund
- Natasha B. Halasa
- Marian G. Michaels
- Manjusha Gaglani
- Amanda McKillop
- Ashley M. Price
- Mary E. Moffatt
- Geoffrey A. Weinberg
- James D. Chappell
- Leila C. Sahni
- Shaun J. Grannis
- John Hansen
- Vasanthi Avadhanula
- Charlene McEvoy
- Patrick Maloney
- Elizabeth P. Schlaudecker
- Shikha Garg
- Samantha M. Olson
- Krissy Moehling Geffel
- Ivana A. Vaughn
- Juliana DaSilva
- Katherine Adams
- Eileen J. Klein
- Marie K. Kirby
- Carrie Reed
- Daniel Bride
- Toan C. Ong
- Rangaraj Selvarangan
- S. Bianca Salas
- Stephanie A. Irving
- Amanda B. Payne
- Emmanuel B. Walter
- Tara Curley
- Zachary A. Weber
- Peter G. Szilagyi
- Jennifer DeCuir
- Karthik Natarajan
- Emily T. Martin
- Julie A. Boom
Publication Details
- Journal
- MMWR Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report
- Published
- 2026-03-12
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7509a2
- Primary Topic
- Influenza Virus Research Studies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00