On Aug. 23, 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released Immunization Practices Advisory Committee (ACIP) recommendations on the use of influenza vaccines for the 2019-20 influenza season.

ACIP provides annual recommendations for the use of influenza vaccines for the prevention and control of influenza. The ACIP Influenza Work Group meets by teleconference once to twice per month throughout the year. Work group membership includes several voting members of ACIP, representatives of ACIP Liaison Organizations, and consultants. Discussions include topics such as influenza surveillance, vaccine effectiveness and safety, vaccine coverage, program feasibility, cost-effectiveness, and vaccine supply. Presentations are requested from invited experts, and published and unpublished data are discussed.

In general, the Background Document that supplements this report is updated to reflect recent additions to the literature related to recommendations made in previous seasons and minor changes in guidance for the use of influenza vaccines (e.g., guidance for timing of vaccination and other programmatic issues, guidance for dosage in specific populations, guidance for selection of vaccines for specific populations that are already recommended for vaccination, and changes that reflect use that is consistent with Food and Drug Administration [FDA]–licensed indications and prescribing information).

The summary included in the Background Document for such topics is not a systematic review but is intended to provide an overview of current literature, with updated articles being identified primarily through a broad search for English-language articles on influenza and influenza vaccines. In general, systematic review and evaluation of evidence using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach is performed for new recommendations or substantial changes in the recommendations (e.g., expansion of the recommendation for influenza vaccination to new populations not previously recommended for vaccination or potential preferential recommendations for specific vaccines).

This report includes no substantial changes from the 2018–19 recommendations. Updates and changes to the recommendations described in this report are of two types: 1) the vaccine virus composition for 2019–20 U.S. seasonal influenza vaccines, and 2) recent regulatory actions, including labeling changes for previously licensed vaccines that occurred after the publication of the 2018–19 ACIP Influenza Vaccine Statement.