The goal of VDH's media update is to provide timely information on public health issues affecting communities across the Commonwealth, including disease trends, prevention guidance, safety advisories, and community resources. We strive to keep media partners and the public informed about emerging health concerns, response efforts, and actions Virginians can take to protect their health.
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In This Update - September 29, 2026
Nursing Home Oversight Advisory Panel Meeting
Update:
Members of accredited media are invited to attend an informative meeting on the Commonwealth’s Nursing Home Oversight Plan and newly enacted nursing home administrative sanctions guidance.
- Sept. 30, 1 p.m., Nursing Home Oversight Advisory Panel
Office of the Chief Medical Examiner
8850 Times Dispatch Blvd, Ste 200
Mechanicsville, VA 23116
Meeting Agenda
The focus of the public meeting is nursing home quality improvement and regulatory enforcement. It will include presentations by three nursing home industry associations about their role in quality improvement, followed by a panel discussion.
Secretary Figueroa, Dr. Webb, and VDH’s Office of Licensure and Certification Director, April Dovel, will be available to the media following the meeting.
Media outlets that wish to attend need to RSVP to Logan.Anderson@vdh.virginia.gov.
Pediatric Flu Death
Update:
The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) is reporting the third confirmed influenza-associated pediatric death for the 2025–26 influenza (flu) season in Virginia. Sadly, a preschool-age child (0-4 years) in VDH’s Eastern Region died from complications associated with flu. This case was identified using a retrospective records search and will be reported on the Respiratory Illness Dashboard as of September 29. To protect the family’s privacy, VDH will not provide any additional information about the child.
As of September 19, the level of respiratory illnesses is low and stable in Virginia. The 2025-26 season ends October 3. 2026. The 2026-2027 influenza season begins on October 4.
Public Guidance:
The Virginia Department of Health recommends the following tips to prevent the flu:
- Everyone six months and older, with rare exceptions, should get an influenza (flu) vaccine every season. An annual seasonal flu vaccine is the best way to help reduce the risk of getting flu and any of its potentially serious complications.
- Wash your hands with soap and water or use an alcohol-based sanitizer.
- Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or the inside of your elbow rather than your open hand.
- Stay at home when you feel sick.
Respiratory Season Vaccines
Update:
Vaccines are your best protection against severe disease from flu, COVID-19, and RSV. Talk to your healthcare provider to determine which 2026-27 seasonal vaccines are right for you.
Public Guidance:
Influenza (flu)
Virginia Department of Health recommends that everyone six months and older, with rare exceptions, should get an influenza (flu) vaccine every season.
While the best time to get the flu vaccine is by the end of October, it’s never too late. You can continue to get protection from the flu vaccine as long as flu viruses are circulating. Flu activity normally begins increasing in early October and continues to late May, often peaking in January or February.
The updated flu vaccine includes protection against three strains of flu virus, including the influenza A(H3N2) subclade K virus that spread widely during the 2025-2026 season.
COVID-19
COVID-19 vaccines are available for everyone six months and older and are especially recommended for those at high risk of severe disease, including older adults, infants, and during pregnancy.
The Virginia Department of Health recommends getting an updated COVID-19 vaccine, if eligible, because vaccine protection decreases over time.
Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)
VDH recommends that all adults aged 75 years and older receive a single dose of one RSV vaccine. If you are 50-74 years old with a health condition, speak with your healthcare provider to decide if the RSV vaccine is the right choice for you; some health conditions can cause you to be at higher risk for severe RSV illness. If an adult 50 years and older has already received an RSV vaccine in a previous season, they do not need a dose this season.
All babies should be protected from severe RSV by one of two immunization options. A maternal RSV vaccine can be given during pregnancy, or an RSV monoclonal antibody can be given to your baby. These immunization products have been shown to cut the risk of hospitalization significantly for infants going into their first RSV season. Pregnant people and parents of newborns should talk with their healthcare providers about RSV immunizations.
ICYMI: Protect Yourself and Your Pets
Rabies Awareness Week is Sept. 27- Oct. 3
Update:
Rabies Awareness Week, September 27 - October 3, is a longstanding campaign sponsored by the Virginia Department of Health and The Virginia Veterinary Medical Association. As the “other family doctor,” animal healthcare providers play a critical role in rabies prevention by educating pet owners about how vaccinating their pets for rabies protects everyone in the family.
Public Guidance:
Rabies is a virus that is commonly found in Virginia’s wildlife, especially in certain wild animals such as raccoons, skunks, and foxes. It’s important to remember that any mammal can get rabies and that rabies kills almost any mammal that gets sick from it. That’s why it’s important to take some basic precautions to help protect you and your pets from being infected.
One of the best ways you can protect yourself and your animals is by having your veterinarian vaccinate your pets for rabies and keeping their vaccinations up to date. Vaccinating domestic animals like dogs, cats, and horses creates a protective barrier between wildlife and humans. By protecting them, we also protect ourselves.
You can also protect yourself and your pets by:
- Appreciating wildlife from a distance
- Never adopting wild animals as pets
- Keeping your animals on your property
- Keeping garbage and pet food inside
For more information about rabies, please visit the Virginia Department of Health website at https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/animal-contact-human-health/rabies-control/ and to find a veterinarian, go to https://vvma.org/.