Flu Vaccine FAQ: What Parents Are Asking About the 2026–2027 Flu Shot
Flu vaccines are almost here at Pediatric Providers, and the questions have already started. Here are the ones we hear most, answered plainly.
Who needs a flu vaccine this year?
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a flu vaccine every year for every child 6 months and older who does not have a medical reason to skip it. That includes healthy kids, teenagers, and children with asthma, diabetes, or other ongoing conditions.
The AAP also recommends flu vaccination during pregnancy. It protects the pregnant parent and passes protection to the baby, who cannot be vaccinated until 6 months of age. Vaccination while breastfeeding is safe and protects both parent and baby.
One dose or two?
It depends on your child's age and whether they have had flu vaccines before. Children from 6 months to 8 years of age need two doses, given at least four weeks apart, the first year they are vaccinated. We check the record and tell you at your visit — you do not have to figure this out yourself.
When should we come in?
As soon as they are available. The AAP recommends that all needed doses ideally be given by the end of October, before flu usually starts circulating widely. It takes about two weeks after vaccination for protection to build, and children who need two doses need that extra month built in.
Can the flu shot give my child the flu?
No. The injectable flu vaccine does not contain live virus, so it cannot cause influenza. A sore arm, a low-grade fever, or a tired, cranky day afterward means the immune system is doing its job. Those symptoms fade in a day or two. Actual flu lasts a week and comes with high fever, body aches, and a cough that flattens most kids.
I read something about seizures. Should I be worried?
You may have seen this in the news. For the 2026–2027 season, the FDA asked manufacturers to update the prescribing information for injectable flu vaccines to note a small increase in the risk of febrile seizures in children under 5. The studies behind that update estimated roughly one additional febrile seizure for every 22,000 to 41,000 doses given.
That is a very small risk, and it is worth weighing against the other side: influenza itself can cause fever high enough to trigger seizures. The AAP reviewed this and did not change its recommendation. If your child has had a febrile seizure before, bring it up at the visit and we will talk it through with you.
Is it really that serious?
Last season was a hard one. There were 190 flu deaths reported among children nationally in 2025–2026, and historically about 85% of children who die from flu were not vaccinated. Meanwhile, only about half of children 6 months through 17 years were vaccinated last season.
Research by CDC scientists found that flu vaccination reduces a child's risk of dying from flu by about 80%. It also prevents thousands of hospitalizations and a great many missed school days and missed workdays for parents.
What will it cost us?
For most families, nothing. Flu vaccines are covered by Maryland Medicaid and by the federal Vaccines for Children program, and commercial insurance plans are expected to cover them as usual. If cost is a worry, call us and ask. We will find a way.
The short version
• Everyone 6 months and older, every year.
• Ideally done by the end of October.
• It cannot give your child the flu.
• Two weeks to full protection.
• We can do it at a well visit, a sick visit, or a quick nurse visit.
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