While you can catch the seasonal flu at any time of year, you’re officially approaching flu season. It’s also the time of year when some people are getting their flu vaccinations. If you haven’t had yours yet and you’re 50 or older, then you have another vaccine option this year that you should know about. It’s new and may be specifically beneficial for you. Here’s what you need to know about it.
Although the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that it’s too early to tell if the new influenza A(H3N2) virus subclade J.2.4.1, also called “H3N2 subclade K,” will be prominent for this flu season, it acknowledges that its prevalence has grown since it was first identified in August 2025.
Last flu season, many people called subclade K a ‘superflu’. However, there’s no evidence it’s inherently worse than other influenza viruses that can make you sick this season. Its symptoms are primarily characteristic of what you expect from the flu: abrupt onset of fever, cough, myalgia (muscle pain), sore throat, nasal congestion, and malaise (generally feeling sick). When it comes to older adults, infants, pregnant people, and those with chronic comorbidities, though, the symptoms may be more severe.
According to a January 2026 study, adults 65 and older typically account for most influenza-related hospitalizations each year. Even when vaccinated, they may still have severe symptoms. That’s because vaccines may be less effective at reducing symptom severity in older adults. While there’s no data specific to Black Americans and how they’re affected by the subclade K variant, the CDC has already noted that Black people were more likely to be hospitalized for flu-related symptoms than other ethnicities.
Of course, researchers are exploring other ways to improve vaccine effectiveness and support care during flu season. With that goal in mind, researchers designed a new vaccine specifically for adults over age 50.
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Earlier this year, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new influenza A and B vaccine called mFLUSIVA. The vaccine was made by Moderna and is specifically indicated for the prevention of influenza in adults who are 50 years of age and older. This new vaccine is based on messenger RNA (mRNA).
While traditional vaccines contain a weakened or inactivated virus or a purified viral protein, mRNA vaccines contain neither. Instead, mRNA vaccines deliver a small piece of messenger RNA, which is the material cells use as instructions to build proteins.
In this flu mRNA vaccine, the mRNA codes for hemagglutinin, a protein on the virus’s surface. After vaccination, the recipient’s own cells read these instructions and briefly produce the viral protein, which the immune system recognizes as foreign. The mRNA does not enter the cell’s nucleus or alter DNA, and it is broken down by the body within days.
Because your immune system recognizes the viral protein as foreign, it triggers an immune response to produce antibodies to protect your body. These antibodies stay in your body, so you’ll continue to have an immune response if you’re exposed to the virus again.
Researchers conducted a phase 3, double-blind, active-controlled trial to determine the effectiveness and safety of an mRNA vaccine for adults over the age of 50. The vaccine in this trial is called mRNA-1010, the same vaccine approved by the FDA.
The trial included 40,703 participants, all over the age of 50. The researchers randomly assigned participants to receive the mRNA-1010 vaccine or the standard-dose comparator. As a result, 20,350 participants received the mRNA-1010 vaccine while 20,353 participants received the comparator. The researchers then followed up with the participants after a median period of 181 days.
The results showed that two percent of participants who received the mRNA-1010 vaccine developed recognized symptoms of influenza-like illness. In contrast, 2.8 percent of those who received the comparator developed similar symptoms. Based on these numbers, the mRNA-1010 vaccine was more effective than the comparator in older adults.
However, it’s important to note that the mRNA-1010 vaccine also has its fair share of side effects. When asked, the participants who received that vaccine reported more issues than the other group. For example, 65.8 percent of the first group reported pain at the injection site compared to 29.8 percent from the second group. Fatigue affected 45.1 percent of the first group but 20.3 percent of the second.
In the first group, 37.8 percent reported headaches, compared with 18.0 percent in the second group. Finally, 35.4 percent of participants in group 1 had muscle pain, compared with 11.6 percent in group 2. Additionally, 2.2 percent of recipients of mRNA-1010 and 1.9 percent of recipients of the standard-dose comparator reported serious adverse events.
Although the vaccine is meant for adults 50 and older, it’s best to talk to your doctor before deciding whether to take it. They can review the benefits and potential side effects with you. If you’ve had reactions to previous vaccines, then this information would also be helpful. It may also be useful to let your doctor know if you’ve been diagnosed with any illnesses recently, have started taking new medications, or have made any recent lifestyle changes.
Some questions you can use to start the conversation include:
Even without the new mRNA vaccine, you can still follow the CDC’s recommendations for the 2026-2027 flu season. People ages 18 to 64 can receive any FDA-approved vaccine for their age, unless they’re immunocompromised. If you’re immunocompromised, consult your doctor about which vaccines are best for you.
For those who are 65 years old and older, the CDC recommends receiving any one of the following higher-dose or adjuvanted influenza vaccines: high-dose inactivated influenza vaccine (HD-IIV3), recombinant influenza vaccine (RIV3), or adjuvanted inactivated influenza vaccine (aIIV3).464748. If those aren’t available, then you should still receive any other influenza vaccine that’s appropriate for your age. The key is to get vaccinated according to CDC recommendations, ideally by the end of October, before flu activity typically peaks between December and February.
The FDA has approved a new influenza vaccine for adults who are 50 and older. While it’s more effective than the current options, it may also have a higher incidence of side effects. That’s why it’s good to discuss it with your doctor before taking it. They can guide you on what’s best and help you stay healthy for the upcoming flu season.
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