In fact, the Vaccine and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee recommended that all three viral strains be changed in this fall's doses. FDA Commissioner Martin Makary must sign off on the change. Meanwhile, as measles cases wane in South Carolina, other states report upticks. [KFF Health News]

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CIDRAP: FDA Vaccine Advisers Recommend Adding Subclade K To Fall Shots
Although the United States officially left the World Health Organization (WHO) in January, US scientists have continued to collaborate with international researchers to track the evolution of influenza viruses. [On Thursday,] the Vaccine and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) unanimously endorsed the WHO's recommendation for viral strains to include in flu shots starting this fall. The final decision will be made by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Martin Makary, MD, MPH. (Szabo, 3/12)

MedPage Today: CDC Studies Suggest Slumping Flu Shot Protection
This season's influenza vaccine effectiveness (VE) rates against outpatient visits and hospitalizations may be lower than last season's, pushed in part by a viral mismatch between the vaccine virus and circulating strains, according to an interim CDC analysis. Based on U.S. surveillance network data from September 2025 to February 2026, estimated VE rates against influenza A- and B-related outpatient visits for adults ranged from 22% to 34%, and 30% to 41% for those ages 65 and older specifically, while rates against hospitalizations reached 30% and 31%, respectively, reported Patrick Maloney, PhD, of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, and colleagues. (Rudd, 3/12)

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