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Immunization Information for Health Care Professionals

2026 Updates

Respiratory Virus Immunization Recommendations

Immunization Schedules

Vaccination Campaign

  • A new citywide campaign encourages parents to seek reliable vaccination information from their children’s doctor.
  • View materials and information under Patient Vaccine Education.

COVID-19 Vaccinations at Pharmacies

  • The minimum age for COVID-19 vaccinations at pharmacies has been lowered from age 3 to age 2 years old.
  • New York State pharmacists are now authorized to administer COVID-19 vaccines to children 2 years and older with a patient specific order or non-patient specific standing order.

Health care professionals can contact the Bureau of Immunization at 347-396-2400 or nycimmunize@health.nyc.gov with questions at any time.

We also host virtual Office Hours on the first Wednesday of every month at noon. To be added to the email distribution list and receive the monthly Office Hours registration link, ensure that you are listed as a contact for your facility in the CIR Facility Manager.

Vaccination Recommendations

Flu Vaccination

  • Everyone 6 months and older should receive a 2025-2026 flu vaccine, especially people who are at high risk for severe influenza disease and complications. This includes people with underlying chronic medical conditions, people who are pregnant, and people ages 65 years and older or younger than 5 years.
  • Most people should receive the flu vaccine in September or October.
  • Pregnant people may receive the vaccine during any trimester.
    • Vaccination during July and August can be considered for people in their third trimester to ensure their newborns are protected during their first 6 months of life.
    • People in their first or second trimester during July and August should generally wait until September to be vaccinated, unless there is a concern that later vaccination might not be possible.
  • The flu vaccine should continue to be offered to unvaccinated individuals through June 30 of each year, as influenza viruses continue to circulate.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Vaccination

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Adults 50 and Older

  • RSV vaccination is recommended for everyone ages 75 years and older and people ages 50 to 74 years with risk factors for severe RSV disease.
  • Adults should receive a single, lifetime dose. Annual RSV vaccination is not currently recommended.
  • Eligible older adults can receive an RSV vaccine at any time during the year, but RSV vaccination will have the most benefit if administered just before RSV season from August to October.

Infants 8 Months and Younger

  • All infants should be protected against RSV through one of two options. In most cases, only one immunization option is necessary to confer immunity to the infant during their first RSV season. There is no preference for one option over the other.
    • Vaccine (Abrysvo) given to pregnant people during 32 weeks and 0 days through 36 weeks and 6 days’ gestation who have not received the RSV vaccine during a prior pregnancy.
      • RSV vaccination for pregnant people in NYC is recommended from September 1 through January 31.
    • Monoclonal antibodies (nirsevimab or clesrovimab) given to infants less than 8 months of age.
      • Administration of monoclonal antibodies for infants is recommended to align with the local RSV season. In a typical year, administration in NYC is recommended from October 1 through March 31. The optimal timing is shortly before RSV season begins or within a baby's first week of life, ideally during the birth hospitalization, if born during the RSV season.
        • The Health Department closely monitors RSV data and immunization guidance and will update this webpage in the fall as the 2026-2027 RSV season approaches.
        • Information on RSV activity in NYC can be found on the NYC Respiratory Illness Data webpage, updated weekly.
      • Monoclonal antibodies should be provided after birth in the following situations:
        • When the vaccination status of the birthing parent is unknown at the time of the infant’s birth
        • When the birthing parent received an RSV vaccine during a prior pregnancy. Repeated RSV vaccination in pregnant persons during subsequent pregnancies is currently not recommended.
        • When the birthing parent received an RSV vaccine within 14 days of delivery. The birthing parent may not have mounted an immune response prior to the birth of the infant.
        • When the birthing parent is vaccinated, but the healthcare provider judges that the potential incremental benefit of giving monoclonal antibodies is warranted. For example, a provider may recommend monoclonal antibodies when a mother has an immunocompromising condition and may not mount an adequate immune response to RSV vaccination.

Young Children 8 Months to 19 Months

  • The monoclonal antibody nirsevimab is recommended for use in children 8 to 19 months who are at increased risk of severe RSV and entering their second RSV season. Nirsevimab is the only RSV immunization product recommended for this age group.
  • More detailed clinical guidance, including a list of conditions that increase risk of severe RSV in young children is available in the Nirsevimab Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

COVID-19 Vaccination

  • Everyone 6 months and older can benefit from a COVID-19 vaccine. Vaccination is especially important for certain groups.
    • Pregnant people are at increased risk of severe COVID-19 disease and should be vaccinated if they have not already received their annual vaccine.
      • COVID-19 vaccination also helps protect the infant, who is at increased risk of severe COVID-19 disease and is not eligible for vaccination until 6 months of age.
      • Pregnant people can receive a COVID-19 vaccine during any trimester and at any time of year.
  • The SARS-CoV-2 virus typically spreads year-round, but peaks in the early winter and late summer have been common.
  • People ages 65 years and older should receive a second 2026-2027 COVID-19 vaccine dose at least 6 months after their initial dose. People who are immunocompromised may need additional doses of COVID-19 vaccine.
  • For more details, see COVID-19: Vaccine Information for Providers.

Perinatal Hepatitis B Vaccination

The New York State Department of Health and the NYC Health Department continue to strongly recommend that newborns born to birthing parents who test negative for hepatitis B infection and have a birth weight of at least 2,000 g (4.4 lbs) should be vaccinated within 24 hours of birth.

  • Birthing parents who test negative during screening may acquire hepatitis B between testing and delivery or may have a false-negative test result.
  • Infants can also contract hepatitis B from caregivers, household contacts, and others with known or unknown hepatitis B infection, or from surfaces and objects contaminated with blood containing hepatitis B virus. Hepatitis B is a resilient virus and can live on surfaces such as washcloths and nail clippers for up to 7 days.
  • One in four people infected with hepatitis B virus during childhood die from liver cirrhosis or liver cancer in later life.

Recommendations to vaccinate newborns born to birthing parents who test positive for hepatitis B infection or who have unknown hepatitis B infection status also remain unchanged.

For more details about these recommendations and the data supporting them, see the following letters:

Pharmacy Standing Order Program

Independent and small chain pharmacists who are unable to obtain a standing order from a doctor or nurse practitioner may enroll in the Pharmacy Immunization Standing Order program to receive a non-patient specific standing order from the NYC Health Department. Program requirements include attending an annual orientation and submitting proof of adequate vaccine storage and handling. For more information, email nycimmunize@health.nyc.gov.

Notification Letters and Health Advisories

2026

2025

2024

2023

2022

Additional Resources

NYC Vaccine Access

  • VFC Program: Enroll to receive no cost vaccines for eligible children.
  • Health Map: If you are unable to offer vaccinations at your facility, you should recommend the vaccines your patients need, refer patients to vaccination locations on the NYC Health Map, and follow up with your patients to confirm they received the recommended vaccines.

NYC Requirements

Vaccine Administration Support

  • Citywide Immunization Registry: Tools to review your patients’ vaccination coverage, send reminder or recall texts or letters to patients who are due for vaccinations
    • NYC health care professionals report immunizations to the CIR as required by New York State Public Health Law and the NYC Health Code.
    • All immunizations administered to children age 18 years and younger in NYC must be reported to the CIR.
    • Immunizations administered to adults 19 years and older in NYC should be reported to the CIR with oral or written patient consent.
    • Reporting doses to the CIR helps ensure patients receive all recommended vaccines on time by appropriately forecasting which vaccines are due. Patients can access records of all vaccine doses reported to the CIR at My Vaccine Record.
  • Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS): Instructions for reporting vaccine administration errors and suspected adverse vaccine reactions
  • Vaccine Information Statements: Repository of statements to provide to patients prior to vaccination

Clinical Guidance

NYC Data

  • Childhood Vaccination Data Explorer: Estimates of vaccination coverage (the percentage of people who are vaccinated) in NYC for children ages 6 months to 17 years, by vaccine type, including trends over time and breakdowns by race and ethnicity, borough, and ZIP code
  • Respiratory Illness Data: Data and key metrics on COVID-19, flu, and RSV in NYC, including information on cases, emergency department visits, and deaths, as well as demographic breakdowns, where available

Patient Vaccine Education