Vaccination News Roundup - August 28, 2025

FDA Narrows Eligibility for Updated COVID-19 Vaccines On August 27, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the 2025-26 COVID-19 vaccine formulations but restricted their use to seniors aged 65 and older and adults and children with at least one underlying health condition, such as asthma or obesity. Healthy individuals under 65 and children without risk factors will require a healthcare provider’s consultation before obtaining the shots. The decision, announced by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., departs from previous seasons’ broad eligibility and has drawn criticism from medical societies warning it may increase COVID-19 hospitalizations this fall and winter.

Pakistan Prepares Major Polio Vaccination Campaign Facing heightened transmission risks from recent floods, Pakistan’s National Emergency Operations Center announced on Thursday a door-to-door polio immunization drive starting September 1. Over 240,000 frontline workers will target 28 million children under five across 97 high-risk districts, including Punjab, Sindh, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Officials emphasized the urgency as flood-displaced populations and overcrowded camps amplify the threat of poliovirus spread.

WHO Extends Mpox Vaccination Recommendations The World Health Organization released its 57th multi-country situation report on August 28, stating that monkeypox virus clades continue to circulate globally and pose a sustained community transmission risk. To mitigate this, WHO has extended its mpox vaccination recommendations-originally slated to expire this month-through August 20, 2026, urging high-risk individuals and international travelers to receive the vaccine.