Scripps Begins Flu Vaccinations Sept. 8 With Updated Shot

This year's flu shot isn't just another annual vaccination - it's an updated version designed to better match the influenza viruses expected to circulate during the 2026 - 2027 flu season, following the emergence and wide spread of a new H3N2 version of the infection last year.

Scripps Health today began offering seasonal flu vaccinations to San Diego County residents, giving them an opportunity to get vaccinated before the typical rise of flu activity in the fall.

"The influenza vaccine isn't a booster, it's reformulated every year because the virus is constantly changing," said Anthony Chong, MD, a family medicine physician and chief medical officer at Scripps Coastal Medical Center. "Scientists update the shot based on global surveillance in order to increase protection against the influenza viruses that we expect to see during the upcoming season."

The new vaccine formulation recommended by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) includes protection for three influenza viruses -- A/Missouri (H1N1), B/Tokyo and a new A/Darwin (H3N2) component that was selected after the virus evolved last year into the subclade K version that wasn't well matched with the 2025-2026 season's vaccine.

Early evidence from Australia, which experiences its winter flu season during the U.S. summer due to its location in the Southern Hemisphere, offers reason for optimism about the latest shot formulation.

Like the United States, Australia also reformulated its current vaccine to better target the recently emerged H3N2 subclade version of the virus, popularly nicknamed "Super K." Recent national surveillance there found that nearly 70% of influenza samples tested were a good match for the new version of the shot.

It's too early to know how effective the U.S. vaccine will be, but the Australia findings suggest the updated formulation may provide a closer match to the viruses expected here in the coming months.

With the recent FDA approval of the first ever mRNA vaccine for influenza, the range of flu vaccine options could expand in the future. Scripps will be evaluating this new shot for adults 50 and older in the coming months and, if it is determined to be appropriate for these patients, may add it to its available influenza vaccine options for the 2027-28 flu season.

While influenza has become a routine part of life, even a mild infection can cause physical discomfort and disruptions to schedules, and more serious cases can be deadly.

Although local influenza deaths declined during the 2025-26 season as compared with the previous season, the virus still claimed 76 lives in San Diego County and infected more than 25,000 people, according to the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency. Scripps physicians say annual vaccination remains the best way to reduce the risk of severe illness, hospitalization and death.

"Influenza is easy to underestimate, but it can cause serious complications, even in people who are otherwise healthy," said Siu Ming Geary, MD, an internal medicine physician and vice president of primary care at Scripps Clinic Medical Group. "Annual vaccination remains one of our most important tools for reducing illness and hospitalization, particularly among those who are most vulnerable."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend annual influenza vaccination for everyone 6 months of age and older. Vaccination is especially important for adults 65 and older, children younger than 5, pregnant women, people with chronic medical conditions and anyone at increased risk of severe influenza complications.