National Influenza Vaccination Week falls on December 7–11, 2026. It’s CDC’s weekday reminder that December isn’t too late for a flu shot.
First Week of December
Every year in early December. The 2025 week ran Monday through Friday, December 1 to 5. The 2026 week follows the same pattern.
Federal health officials at CDC created it in 2005 and still run it. State and local health departments join in with their own events.
Why CDC Picked December
Flu shots tend to be on people’s minds in the fall. CDC wanted to stretch that window, so the week highlights vaccination “through December, January and beyond.”
Older weeks ran Sunday to Saturday. In 2016, for example, the observance ran December 4 to 10.
That year, CDC joined state and local health departments in marking the week with events nationwide.
The numbers showed the challenge. Only 45.6% of Americans 6 months and older got vaccinated in the 2015–16 season, down from 47.1% the season before.
Supply wasn’t the issue. By November 10, 2016, manufacturers had shipped about 129.2 million doses.
An announcement ran in CDC’s weekly MMWR report on December 2 that year.
Advice shifts from year to year as well. For the 2016–17 season, experts said not to use the nasal spray vaccine, after it worked poorly against one flu strain.
What the Week Is For
CDC’s message is simple: everyone 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine each season. Flu viruses keep changing, and protection fades over time.
CDC calls the flu shot the only vaccine that protects against flu. It has been shown to cut flu illness and hospital stays as well as deaths.
Some groups need it more. Pregnant women and young children face higher risks. So do adults 65 and older and people with conditions such as asthma or diabetes.
Last season was harsh. CDC rated the 2024–2025 season high severity for every age group, the first such season since 2017–2018.
Hospitals felt it. CDC estimates 51 million flu illnesses, 710,000 hospitalizations and 45,000 deaths that season. Doctor and clinic visits reached about 23 million.
Children were hit too. CDC estimates 790 flu deaths among kids, though only 290 were reported. Millions of children catch flu in a typical year.
Vaccines still made a dent. Flu shots prevented about 10 million illnesses, 180,000 hospitalizations and 12,000 deaths that season.
Babies and toddlers under 2 are high on CDC’s list as well, along with health care workers who care for sick patients every day.
Coverage gaps remain. Just 31% of adults 18 to 49 got vaccinated, compared with 63% of those 65 and older.
What to Do This Week
Free flu graphics and sample messages sit on CDC’s site for anyone who wants to help spread the word.
- Get your flu shot if you haven’t yet, and book one for your kids.
- Ask your doctor or pharmacist which flu vaccine is right for you.
- If you’re pregnant, talk with your provider about getting vaccinated.
- Remind older relatives, who face higher risks, to get theirs.
- If you work in health care, get vaccinated before the holiday rush.
- Share CDC’s free flu graphics in a workplace or school newsletter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is National Influenza Vaccination Week a federal observance?
Yes. It’s a federal health campaign led by CDC, though it isn’t a day off.
Is it too late to get a flu shot in December?
No. CDC’s message for the week is that there’s still time to get one.
Why get a new flu shot every year?
The viruses change, and last year’s shot wanes, so a fresh dose matches this season better.