Many pharmacies across the country are now offering updated flu shots, just like every other year around this time.But unlike every other year, the federal government is not doing much to promote fall vaccinations like the flu shot.While it’s unclear if there will be any official communications on fall vaccines, campaigns usually launch in late summer. Epidemiology experts have also noted there appears to be no federal push for shots.The Department of Health and Human Services, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention did not respond to HuffPost’s multiple requests for comment on the potential lack of a fall vaccination campaign.“In past years, late summer and fall have brought a steady drumbeat of federal messaging about flu vaccination,” said Dr. Katrine Wallace, an epidemiologist at the University of Illinois Chicago. “The CDC, HHS and the White House have used television and digital advertising, social media, news briefings and community outreach to remind Americans that flu vaccination is recommended each year and to encourage people to get vaccinated before flu season peaks.” In 2010, for example, then-President Barack Obama declared a week in December as National Influenza Vaccination Week. And during President Joe Biden’s administration in 2023, the CDC launched “Wild to Mild,” a flu vaccine campaign that promoted the benefits of the shot, particularly in high-risk populations where vaccination rates were dropping. In 2024, the Biden administration had a campaign known as “Risk Less. Do More,” which promoted the flu shot, COVID shot and RSV vaccine.But in 2025, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. instructed the CDC to stop vaccine promotion campaigns like “Wild to Mild” and to have “advertisements that promote the idea of ‘informed consent’ in vaccine decision-making instead,” according to STAT.“The change matters because federal health agencies have historically played an important role in reminding people that flu vaccination is recommended each year and encouraging them to get vaccinated before flu season begins,” Wallace explained. “Less prominent or less consistent messaging could leave some people unsure about whether they still need a flu shot.” It is recommended that everyone 6 months and older get their annual flu shot.Dr. Jennifer Gershman, a clinical pharmacist and member of the Scientific Advisory Board at Unbiased Science, agreed. “We have noticed that there’s been less promotion by the government.”Now, medical societies (such as the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians) are stepping up to promote the flu vaccine and encourage everyone 6 months and older to get it, Gershman said.andreswd via Getty ImagesFlu shots are available at many pharmacies throughout the country, but experts say there won’t be a nationwide vaccine campaign telling you to get the shot.On its website, the CDC does still recommend the flu shot for everyone 6 months and older, Wallace noted, but “Americans are hearing less from the federal government about the importance of getting that shot.”“A formal recommendation on a government website is not the same thing as an active public health campaign,” Wallace said. “For many people, particularly those who do not routinely seek out health information, federal reminders and highly visible vaccination campaigns may be what prompt them to make an appointment or ask their doctor about a flu shot.”You can now make an appointment to get the updated flu shot.All this to say, you can get your flu shot from many pharmacies, including nationwide chains like Walgreens and CVS, as soon as today.“All adults can get vaccinated in pharmacies,” Gershman said, but noted that in some states, pharmacies aren’t authorized to vaccinate children under 3. In those areas, parents can bring kids to their pediatrician’s office for the flu shot.It’s best to get the flu vaccine in September or October, particularly before Halloween, Gershman added.“The composition for the 2026-2027 flu vaccines has been updated,” Wallace said. The updated flu shot protects against three circulating flu strains, including “the subclade K, that contributed to the rough flu season last year,” Gershman said.There’s also a new vaccine available for adults over 50 known as mFLUSIVA, a mRNA flu shot that better protects against the flu.“It’s important for people to realize too that it takes about two weeks, once you get the flu shot, for the body to build up immunity,” Gershman said. “So, that’s why it’s good to get it before flu season starts.”Flu season tends to peak in the winter around and after the holiday season.The last two flu seasons have been some of the most severe in recent history, with the 2025-2026 flu season being the worst one in 25 years with high rates of illness, hospitalization and death.It’s hard to predict what will happen this flu season, Gershman said, but by getting your flu shot, you can protect yourself against severe outcomes like hospitalization and death.“Even if someone comes down with the flu, if they’re vaccinated, it can really help protect them against those type of outcomes,” she said.And don’t let the “eerie silence,” as described in the Your Local Epidemiologist substack, from the federal government confuse you. Flu shots are available and an effective way to protect yourself, your loved ones and your neighbors this fall and winter.