Doctors Share Insights on This Year's Illness Trends

WHO:

Boston Globe - Sabrina Assoumou, infectious disease physician at Boston Medical Center and professor of medicine at Boston University.

Boston Globe - Paul Sax, clinical director of infectious diseases at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

Boston Globe - Katelyn Jetelina, epidemiologist.

HuffPost - Dr. S. Wesley Long, medical director of diagnostic microbiology at Houston Methodist Hospital.

HuffPost - Dr. Morgan Katz, associate professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

HuffPost - Dr. David Nguyen, assistant professor of infectious diseases at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.

WHAT:

Boston Globe - Infection rates in Massachusetts and across the country remain “very low” as of Sept. 11, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Boston Globe - The Massachusetts Department of Public Health recommends annual standard flu vaccines for everyone 6 months and older.

Boston Globe - mFLUSIVA, an mRNA flu vaccine, was approved by the FDA for people 50 and older on Aug. 5.

Boston Globe - mFLUSIVA was about 26.6 percent better at preventing flu in people aged 50 and older compared to standard vaccines.

HuffPost - Flu vaccination rates in children have decreased since the pandemic and are lower than the 70% goal set by public health experts.

HuffPost - RSV season typically starts in October and lasts through March.

HuffPost - RSV vaccines are available for babies, pregnant people, adults 75 and older, and adults 50 to 74 who are at risk for complications.

WHERE:

Boston Globe - Massachusetts.

Boston Globe - City of Boston is launching free vaccine clinics throughout the city.

WHEN:

Boston Globe - The city of Boston is launching free vaccine clinics starting Sept. 23.

HuffPost - Flu season tends to start in September or October and continues until March or even April.

WHY:

Boston Globe - The advisory committee that typically issues vaccine guidance is caught up in a court battle after the Trump administration began pulling back on some longstanding recommendations.

HuffPost - Indoor gatherings in fall and winter allow illnesses like COVID-19 to spread more easily.

HOW:

Boston Globe - The mFLUSIVA vaccine uses synthetic mRNA to instruct cells to create a piece of the flu virus, teaching the immune system to recognize and destroy it.

HuffPost - Vaccination, hand-washing, and masking are recommended to stay healthy during the fall and winter months.

(UPDATED September 17, 2026 22:01 UTC)

Infection rates in Massachusetts and across the country remain very low, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, while the Massachusetts Department of Public Health is urging everyone six months and older to get their annual flu vaccines. The city of Boston will launch free vaccine clinics starting September 23, and the newly approved mFLUSIVA mRNA flu vaccine has shown to be about 26.6 percent more effective for those aged 50 and older compared to standard vaccines. As RSV season approaches, vaccines are available for vulnerable populations, and experts emphasize the importance of vaccination, hand-washing, and masking to stay healthy during the upcoming fall and winter months.