The World Health Organization has introduced updated global guidance for COVID-19 vaccination, reflecting a major change in how countries are expected to manage the virus more than six years after the beginning of the pandemic.

The WHO’s July 2026 position paper recognizes that SARS-CoV-2 continues to circulate, but global population immunity is now considerably higher and vaccines have undergone extensive safety and effectiveness monitoring. The organization is encouraging countries to move toward sustainable, routine vaccination programmes rather than relying primarily on emergency-style campaigns.

Greater Focus on People at Highest Risk

The updated strategy places the strongest emphasis on people who are most likely to develop severe COVID-19.

WHO recommends that countries consider routine vaccination for the oldest adults, older people with significant underlying health conditions or severe obesity, residents of long-term care facilities and people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised.

For people in the highest-risk categories, WHO recommends at least one vaccine dose each year and preferably two doses approximately six months apart, taking into account national circumstances.

The approach reflects evidence that protection against severe disease decreases with time after vaccination.

Countries Can Adapt Their Programmes

WHO is not recommending an identical vaccination programme for every country.

Instead, national health authorities are expected to consider local COVID-19 transmission, the characteristics of their populations, vaccine availability, cost-effectiveness and the ability of healthcare systems to deliver vaccination effectively.

This means vaccination schedules may differ between countries depending on their individual circumstances.

Some countries may also choose to vaccinate additional groups, including certain older adults, people with significant medical conditions, healthcare workers who care for high-risk patients and other populations where vaccination is considered beneficial.

Pregnancy Included in the Guidance

Pregnant people are also addressed in the updated recommendations.

WHO says countries may consider providing one COVID-19 vaccine dose during each pregnancy, regardless of the stage of pregnancy, with the second trimester identified as the preferred timing where practical. The aim is to reduce the risk of severe illness during pregnancy and help protect infants through antibodies transferred from the mother.

The recommendation represents the continued emphasis on protecting groups who may face additional consequences from respiratory infections.

Young Children Have a More Targeted Recommendation

WHO has taken a selective approach toward vaccination of healthy young children.

Countries may consider routine vaccination for previously unvaccinated healthy children between six and 23 months of age when there is evidence of a significant COVID-19 disease burden in that age group. Routine revaccination is not recommended for healthy children in this category.

Children who are immunocompromised or have conditions that increase their risk of severe COVID-19 can fall into higher-priority vaccination groups.

Updated Vaccines Continue to Be Important

The virus continues to evolve, meaning vaccine composition must be reviewed regularly.

WHO’s Technical Advisory Group on COVID-19 Vaccine Composition monitors changes in SARS-CoV-2 and evaluates how effectively existing vaccines work against circulating variants. In May 2026, WHO recommended monovalent LP.8.1 as the preferred vaccine antigen, while noting that other formulations capable of generating strong and broad immune responses could also be considered.

Importantly, WHO says people at higher risk should not delay vaccination simply because a newer vaccine formulation may become available.

Billions of Doses Have Provided Extensive Safety Data

The global vaccination programme has generated an enormous amount of safety and effectiveness information.

WHO reports that more than 13 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses had been administered worldwide from 2020 through the end of 2025. The organization says the extensive experience supports the continued use of COVID-19 vaccination, particularly among people at elevated risk of severe disease.

The agency nevertheless emphasizes the need for continued safety monitoring and research.

COVID-19 Moves Into Long-Term Health Planning

WHO’s latest guidance reflects the transition from emergency pandemic management to long-term disease control.

The international health agency ended the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency of International Concern in May 2023 after global deaths, hospitalizations and intensive-care admissions declined and population immunity increased. COVID-19, however, continues to circulate and cause serious illness among vulnerable people.

The new strategy therefore focuses on integrating COVID-19 vaccination into established immunization and healthcare systems.

What Could Happen Next?

The recommendations are not permanent. WHO says they can be revised if a new SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern emerges, if the epidemiology of COVID-19 changes substantially or if new evidence shows that vaccine performance requires a different approach.

For now, the global strategy is centered on maintaining protection for those most likely to suffer severe outcomes while allowing individual countries to design programmes suited to their own populations.

The latest guidance marks an important stage in the evolution of the global COVID-19 response: the virus remains a public-health concern, but the world’s approach is increasingly focused on long-term protection, targeted vaccination and continuous surveillance rather than emergency pandemic measures.