Flu and RSV season
The CDC updates flu activity every week in FluView and hospitalization rates by age in RESP-NET; we have not loaded this week's numbers here yet, so the links below go straight to the CDC's own dashboards (sources: CDC FluView and RESP-NET, checked Nov. 3, 2026).
By Mongevity Desk · About us · Corrections
Every fall and winter, adults 65 and older are among the people most often hospitalized for flu, RSV and COVID-19. This page follows the season with the CDC's own numbers, so you can see how it is going without the noise.
We show each figure with the week it belongs to and link to the CDC page it comes from. Vaccine advice on this page is copied only from the CDC's adult schedule, with its date; your doctor or pharmacist can tell you what fits you.
Below the data you will find every study we have covered on infections in adults, each with its A–E evidence grade.
This week in numbers
This week's CDC numbers are on their way to this page. Meanwhile, these are the official dashboards, updated every week:
What the CDC recommends for adults 50 and older
- Flu, 65 and older1 dose every year. The CDC prefers a high-dose, recombinant or adjuvanted flu vaccine (HD-IIV3, RIV3 or aIIV3); if none is available, any flu vaccine approved for your age.
- RSV, 75 and older1 dose if you have never had an RSV vaccine (Arexvy, Abrysvo or mResvia). Extra doses are not recommended.
- RSV, 50 to 741 dose only if you are at increased risk of severe RSV; your doctor can tell you if that is you. Extra doses are not recommended.
- When to get the RSV shotAny time of year, but the CDC says it is best in late summer or early fall, before RSV spreads.
Copied from the CDC adult immunization schedule for 2025 (addendum updated July 2, 2025), checked Nov. 3, 2026. For COVID-19 and pneumococcal vaccines the rules depend on your age and health: see the CDC schedule. Your doctor or pharmacist can tell you what fits you. CDC
Every study we've graded
- AStrong: large randomized trials or meta-analyses in people, with hard outcomes.
- BGood: randomized trials in people with smaller samples, shorter follow-up or lab markers.
- CModerate: well-done observational studies in people.
- DLimited: small or early studies in people.
- EVery limited: studies in cells or animals only.
| Study | Topic | Evidence | Why this grade | Original paper | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infections and vaccines after 50 | |||||
| An RSV vaccine cut hospital stays in older adults, with most to gain for weak immunity | Immunity | B | Prespecified subgroup analysis of a large randomized trial; not powered for subgroups, open-label, one season and industry-funded. | Paper | Nov. 3, 2026 |
| A daily handful of almonds raised flu vaccine antibodies, but not protection rates | Immunity | B | Randomized trial with a matched control snack; small, no difference in the primary outcome, antibody findings secondary and partial industry funding. | Paper | Nov. 3, 2026 |
| In older adults with a cough in Argentina, whooping cough was rare; viruses were common | Immunity | C | Prospective multicenter study with modern testing; one year, four hospitals and adults 50 or older only. | Paper | Nov. 3, 2026 |
| An mRNA RSV vaccine was linked to fewer RSV hospital stays in veterans 50 and older | Immunity | C | Large observational study with target trial emulation; not randomized, one season, mostly men and no comparison with other vaccines. | Paper | Nov. 3, 2026 |
| Exercising around your flu shot didn’t clearly boost antibodies, a review finds | Immunity | C | Careful systematic review; few small randomized trials, single-trial results and antibody outcomes rather than illness. | Paper | Nov. 3, 2026 |
Questions people ask
How bad is flu season right now in the U.S.?
The CDC updates flu activity every week in FluView and hospitalization rates by age in RESP-NET; we have not loaded this week's numbers here yet, so the links below go straight to the CDC's own dashboards (sources: CDC FluView and RESP-NET, checked Nov. 3, 2026).
Who should get the RSV vaccine?
According to the CDC's 2025 adult schedule: everyone 75 or older, and people 50 to 74 at increased risk of severe RSV. It is one dose, not a yearly shot (source: CDC, checked Nov. 3, 2026).
Which flu shot is best after 65?
The CDC prefers a high-dose, recombinant or adjuvanted flu vaccine for people 65 and older; if none is available, any flu vaccine for your age (source: CDC, checked Nov. 3, 2026).
Where the data comes from
- CDC FluView: weekly flu surveillance: The CDC's weekly report on flu activity in the U.S.
- CDC RESP-NET: hospitalizations for flu, RSV and COVID-19: Lab-confirmed hospitalization rates by age group, including 65 and older.
- CDC RSV-NET: The CDC's surveillance of RSV hospitalizations.
- CDC: adult immunization schedule by age: Which vaccine the CDC recommends at each adult age.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration: press announcements: The FDA announces its own approvals, warnings and decisions.
Mongevity explains research. It does not give medical advice.