Naples Concierge Health
As flu and COVID season approaches, we want to make sure you have access to the latest and best information about vaccination. Below is the current picture for this year’s flu and COVID vaccines. More will come to light as the season unfolds, and we encourage you to bring any questions to us.
How the vaccines are updated each year
Every year, multiple variants, or “strains,” of flu and COVID circulate. About a year ahead of time, infectious disease specialists project which variants they expect to be most common and most dangerous the following fall, and the vaccines are built to match. Some years the prediction is very accurate. Other years the protection is lower than we would like.
For the 2026-2027 season, all three components of the flu vaccine were updated from last year. The targeted strains are:
- H1N1: an A/Missouri/11/2025-like virus
- H3N2: an A/Darwin/1454/2025-like virus
- B/Victoria lineage: a B/Tokyo/EIS13-175/2025-like virus
It is still too early to know how well these choices will match what actually circulates this winter. In a well-matched season, flu vaccines typically lower the risk of getting sick by roughly 40 to 60 percent, with stronger protection against severe illness and hospitalization than against milder infection. Effectiveness varies from year to year. Last season ran lower than average, for reasons that are not fully understood, which is part of why the strains were changed this year. September and October are good times to get the shot because they line up your peak protection with the winter months, when flu circulates most.
The COVID vaccine
The COVID vaccine is updated in a similar way. The 2026-2027 formula is a single-strain (monovalent) vaccine targeting XFG, a descendant of the JN.1 omicron lineage. The FDA selected this target in the spring, and updated vaccines from Pfizer (Comirnaty), Moderna (Spikevax and mNEXSPIKE), and Novavax (Nuvaxovid) were approved in late August 2026. For people who are concerned about mRNA vaccines, the Novavax vaccine is protein-based rather than mRNA.
XFG is the expected predominant strain, and that may shift over the season. Protection against mild illness tends to fade over a few months, while protection against severe disease lasts considerably longer.
One important change this year: the updated COVID vaccines carry a narrower FDA indication than in earlier years. They are approved for adults 65 and older, and for people under 65 who have at least one condition that raises their risk of severe COVID. The youngest eligible age varies slightly by product. Formal federal recommendations have been less unified this year than in the past, but the major medical societies, including the American Academy of Family Physicians, have issued guidance supporting vaccination for these groups, and insurers have indicated they will continue to cover the vaccine for eligible patients.
Vaccine availability
Flu: The updated flu vaccine is available now at major pharmacies, including CVS, Walgreens, and Publix, by walk-in or appointment. For your convenience, we also provide vaccines in office.
COVID: The updated COVID vaccine is reaching pharmacies now. In Florida, access works a little differently. Several major pharmacies, including CVS, currently require a prescription for the COVID vaccine, so it is not always a simple walk-in the way the flu shot is. If you are eligible and would like the COVID vaccine, let us know and we can help, either with a prescription or once our own supply arrives.
We expect to have both vaccines in the office soon, likely later this month, and we will let you know as soon as they are available here.
Who tends to benefit most
- Adults 65 and older; geriatric and senior care requires specialized attention to vaccination timing and medical history
- People with a high likelihood of exposure, such as healthcare workers and those who work closely with the public
- Young children, especially those under 2, for flu
- Pregnant individuals
- People with chronic conditions such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease, chronic kidney or liver disease, obesity, or an immunocompromised state, for example cancer, HIV, or organ transplant; if your history is more complex than a single condition, you would benefit from a conversation with your physician.
Where the benefit may be smaller, or the picture less clear
- A history of a significant reaction to a prior vaccine
- A low likelihood of exposure
- A known allergy to a vaccine ingredient
- A low personal risk of severe disease
- A history of Guillain-Barré syndrome following a prior vaccination
- Other inflammatory or autoimmune conditions, where the balance of risk and benefit has been less well studied
A final note: the higher the share of a community that is immunized, the less these viruses spread, which protects the people around us as well as ourselves. If you have questions about your specific situation, please do not hesitate to ask.
What to Do Next
If you fall into one of the higher-benefit groups above, or you are simply not sure where you land, bring it up at your next visit or reach out beforehand.
If you would like to schedule a vaccine visit or you would like assistance arranging it at your local pharmacy, give us a call and we can assist you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this year's flu vaccine different from last year's?
Yes. All three flu strains changed for 2026-2027: the H1N1, H3N2, and B/Victoria components are each built around different reference viruses than last season’s vaccine. The COVID vaccine also changed, moving to a single-strain formula targeting XFG.
Who is eligible for the updated COVID vaccine this year?
Eligibility narrowed for 2026-2027. The updated vaccines are approved for adults 65 and older and for people under 65 with at least one condition that raises their risk of severe COVID. If you are not sure whether you qualify, we can help.
When is the best time to get a flu shot?
September or October, so peak protection lines up with the winter months when flu circulates most.
