But in 2024, there was a prolonged summer surge in California that lasted from June through the end of September. After that spike, the expected winter surge never came this year, and for the first time in five years, flu deaths surpassed COVID deaths.

On May 29, the Centers for Disease Control updated its childhood immunization schedule to say that healthy kids between the ages of 6 months and 17 years “may receive” COVID vaccines “informed by the clinical judgment of a healthcare provider and personal preference and circumstances.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently announced more key changes to the CDC recommendations for COVID-19 vaccination. Two health experts answer questions about what the changes mean.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now says that kids with no underlying health conditions "may receive" COVID-19 vaccines, dropping a broad recommendation for all children to get vaccinated against the virus.

Dr. Marty Makary, the Johns Hopkins surgeon and professor who Trump tapped to lead the FDA, clarified the recently changed recommendations on the COVID vaccine.

As influenza cases continue to rise in the lead up to winter, a new study has found that getting a COVID-19 booster at the same time as the flu vaccination could reduce the rate of hospital admissions for both illnesses.

First identified in January, NB. 1.8.1 is spreading quickly across multiple countries, leading to an increase in cases and hospitalisations, the World Health Organisation said