On September 4, 2026 the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) in conjunction with the West Coast Health Alliance (WCHA) announced immunization recommendations for the 2026-2027 respiratory virus season. A table of CDPH\WCHA recommendations can be accessed here and are reproduced below. These recommendations have been informed by guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), and American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). In addition, guidance from the Infectious Diseases Society of America addresses immunizations against respiratory viruses for immunocompromised individuals.

In the absence of a review of vaccine effictiveness by the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the Vaccine Integrity Project and American Medical Association (AMA) independently reviewed current evidence on COVID-19, influenza, and RSV vaccine effectiveness and safety for the 2026–2027 season. The findings were published online in JAMA on September 2, 2026, and are freely accessible with links available below.

Respiratory Virus Situational Awareness

• Orange County (OC) respiratory virus activity can be viewed on our Seasonal Respiratory Viruses dashboard. 
• California Department of Public Health’s (CDPH) data is available at the California Respiratory Virus Dashboard.
• National data is available at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Respiratory Virus Activity Levels page. World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Respiratory Virus Update severity assessment for the southern hemisphere was low to moderate.

COVID-19

• COVID-19 activity in Orange County continues to rise, reflected by modest increases in test positivity, the proportion of emergency department visits for COVID like illness (CLI), and the share of hospital admissions testing positive for COVID 19.
• The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved updated COVID-19 vaccines from Moderna, Novavax-Sanofi and Pfizer-BioNTech containing the currently circulating JN.1 lineage XFG subvariant for the 2026-2027 season.
• Updated COVID-19 vaccines are expected to be available locally as manufacturers begin distributing doses to healthcare providers and pharmacies.
• COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness and Safety for the 2026-2027 Respiratory Season JAMA. doi:10.1001/jama.2026.18191

Influenza

• Influenza activity remains low, though test positivity has increased in recent weeks.
• The FDA has approved trivalent influenza vaccines containing 3 updated strains: influenza A (H3N2), influenza A (H1N1) and influenza B (Victoria) for the 2026-2027 season.  
• The FDA recently approved a new mRNA influenza vaccine, MFLUSIVA (Moderna), for adults 50 years and older.
• A Local Health Officer Order requires all healthcare workers who provide care in Orange County to receive an annual influenza vaccine for the current respiratory virus season unless an exemption applies.
• Seasonal influenza vaccines are expected to remain widely available through routine clinical providers and pharmacies.
• Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness and Safety for the 2026-2027 Respiratory Season JAMA. doi:10.1001/jama.2026.18126

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)

• RSV activity in Orange County currently remains low.
• No recent changes have been made to the available monoclonal antibody products (nirsevimab and clesrovimab) or to the approved RSV vaccines.
• RSV immunization products continue to be accessible to providers for infants, high-risk children, and eligible adults. 
• RSV Immunization Effectiveness and Safety for the 2026-2027 Respiratory Season JAMA . doi:10.1001/jama.2026.17871