2026-2027 flu and COVID-19 vaccines are now available for preorder through ABC Order.

Cencora solution

U.S. seasonal vaccines

Run a successful flu, COVID-19, and RSV vaccine program with reliable supply, demand forecasting, and year-round support built for U.S. pharmacies and providers.
Vaccine vials prepared for distribution to US pharmacies and providers.
Available for
  • Pharmacies
  • Physician practices
  • Health systems
Available in
  • U.S.
Related capabilities
  • Pharmacy solutions
  • Wholesale and specialty distribution
  • Practice and clinic solutions
  • Hospital and health system solutions

You plan ahead. Your seasonal vaccines partner should too.

Running a flu, COVID-19, or RSV vaccine program is a year-round operation, not a fall sprint. Manufacturer forecasts move, demand shifts late in the season, and patients still need their dose on the day they walk in. Cencora’s seasonal vaccines program is built to take pressure off your team at every point in the cycle.

Whether you run a single independent pharmacy or a national health system, you get the same price protection, the same fair-share allocation, the same shipment communications, and a specialized seasonal vaccines team that orchestrates the program behind the scenes.

15.5M+
flu and COVID-19 doses shipped last season
99.9%
order accuracy rate across all vaccines

The purchasing advantages, tools, and support you need for a successful vaccine season

Calendar icon

Priority preorders

Preorder early to stay ahead of demand and receive priority shipping based on manufacturer release schedules, helping you prepare for the season with greater confidence.

Best price logic

Rest assured you'll receive your lowest authorized price from order to shipment, including applicable GPO contract pricing and Good Neighbor Pharmacy vaccine agreement support for eligible federally provided vaccines.

Fair-share allocation

Our preorder fulfillment strategy helps distribute initial doses across sites of care as early as possible, using an industry-standard fair-share approach based on order volume. 

Flexible ordering

Order in the way that works best for your team through ABC Order or email, for added convenience throughout the season.

Season-long support 

Our dedicated seasonal vaccines team supports you throughout the season, from preorder planning and midseason changes to returns, pre-notification tracking, and issue resolution. 

Seasonal timeline 

Get a year-round view of the vaccine season, with key milestones and planning points that help your team prepare early instead of reacting as demand shifts.

Seasonal vaccines communication timeline

Seasonal vaccine supply runs on a continuous yearly cycle. Work on next season's vaccines begins while patients are still receiving this season's vaccines. The stages below show what each group does and when. Many stages run at the same time.

Manufacturers

Manufacturers grow the virus strains, make the vaccines, and ship them to distributors in four stages.

1: January to May

Strain manufacturing
Grow the virus strains selected for the coming season. This work begins while patients are still receiving vaccines from the current season.

2: June to early August

Strain balancing
Combine the strains in the correct proportions for each vaccine.

3: June to November

Formulation, filling, and packing
Mix the final vaccine, fill it into vials and syringes, and pack it for shipping. This stage runs for six months. Packing continues after the first shipments have already left.

4: Early August to December

Distribution
Ship finished vaccines to distributors. Shipping starts four months before production ends.

Distributors

Distributors order vaccines from manufacturers, divide the supply among customers, and ship it to providers in four stages.

1: January to May

Pre-season intake and preparation
Forecast demand, plan cold storage, and prepare their systems for the new season.

2: June to July

Place purchase orders with manufacturers

Order the vaccines they expect to need. These orders are based on the pre-orders providers have already placed.

3: August to November

Receive, allocate, and ship vaccines

Take delivery from manufacturers, divide the supply among their customers, and prepare it for shipping.

4: Late September to December

Ship vaccines to providers
Send vaccines to pharmacies, clinics, and other providers. This stage overlaps with the previous one. Distributors receive new supply and ship earlier supply at the same time.

Providers

Providers are the pharmacies, clinics, and practices that order vaccines and give them to patients in four stages.

1: January to May

Early pre-order season
Order vaccines for the coming season. They order months before the vaccines are made. Ordering early helps secure supply.

2: June to July

Late pre-order season
Place their remaining pre-orders. This is the last stage before shipments begin.

3: Early August to early October

Pre-order shipping
Receive the vaccines they pre-ordered.

4: Early October to mid-December

In-season ordering
Order more vaccines during the season to meet demand.

Patients

Patients receive vaccines in two stages each year because one vaccine season ends as the next one begins.

1: January to April

Previous season
Receive vaccines from the season that began the previous autumn.

2: Late September to December

Current season
Receive vaccines from the new season.

How the stages overlap

Timeline chart of the vaccine year divided into four overlap periods. January to May, two seasons at once: manufacturers grow strains, distributors prepare, providers place early pre-orders, and patients are still receiving vaccines from the previous season until April. June to July, ordering and production run together: manufacturers balance strains and begin formulation, distributors place purchase orders with manufacturers, and providers finish pre-ordering. August to September, production and shipping run together: manufacturers continue filling and packing while distribution begins, distributors receive and allocate supply, and providers receive their pre-order shipments. October to December, supply and demand run together: distributors ship to providers while still receiving from manufacturers, providers move to in-season ordering, and patient vaccination runs from late September through December. The following disclosure appears at the foot of the chart. Wholesale distribution and other related pharmacy and pharmaceutical solution services sold by Cencora are performed by and sold through Cencora subsidiary companies and brands including AmerisourceBergen Drug Corporation, ASD Specialty Healthcare, LLC, Besse Medical, Oncology Supply, SmartSource, and Good Neighbor Pharmacy.
                                            Available in English only

Preorder, manage, and return by vaccine type

U.S. flu vaccines
Preorder flu vaccines from the manufacturers you already rely on, with fulfillment built to get product to your shelves before the first patient walks in.
  • Hospital and health systems
  • Pharmacy solutions
  • Practice and clinic solutions
  • Wholesale and specialty distribution
  • Pharmacies
  • Physician practices
  • Health systems
  • U.S.
Learn more
U.S. COVID-19 vaccines
Order COVID-19 vaccines for U.S. pharmacies, physician practices, and health systems, with the same cold-chain treatment, fair-share allocation, and return flexibility as the rest of the seasonal program. Preorder through ABC Order to lock in your supply.
  • Wholesale and specialty distribution
  • Practice and clinic solutions
  • Pharmacy solutions
  • Hospital and health systems
  • Pharmacies
  • Physician practices
  • Health systems
  • U.S.
Learn more
U.S. RSV vaccines
Order RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) vaccines through Cencora. Demand has consistently outpaced manufacturer forecasts in recent seasons. Preorder early to lock in your supply.
  • Pharmacy solutions
  • Practice and clinic solutions
  • Wholesale and specialty distribution
  • Hospital and health systems
  • Pharmacies
  • Physician practices
  • Health systems
  • U.S.
Learn more

Stress-free vaccine returns

Predicting the exact mix of vaccine doses you’ll need can be challenging, especially as demand shifts throughout the season. Cencora offers flexible return options based on applicable terms and conditions, including partial-box returns when allowed.

Our self-service return tool is always available online, so your team can process returns on their own schedule. Specific return windows, forms, and terms vary by vaccine type; see each vaccine’s terms and conditions for details. 

Flu returns

COVID-19 returns

Nurse delivering a vaccine in-hospital.

Frequently asked questions

Questions about preorder windows, shipping, returns, or product availability? The seasonal vaccines team has answered the most common ones below. 
Cencora offers flu, COVID-19, and RSV vaccines from major manufacturers. See each vaccine’s page for current product offerings.
We accept preorders for the upcoming season and continue to accept orders throughout the season. 
Any Cencora customer can preorder seasonal vaccines. 
Place your preorder through ABC Order or email. Sign in to order your doses.
Preordering helps guarantee timely delivery and secures your products amid fluctuating demand. Benefits include priority shipping based on manufacturer schedules, your lowest authorized price, flexible returns based on manufacturer terms, ordering convenience, and support from a dedicated seasonal vaccines team.
We ship doses as they become available from the manufacturer. Preordered doses typically begin shipping in mid-to-late summer and continue through the fall; once preorders are fulfilled, we ship orders as placed.
Your dedicated seasonal vaccines team is available throughout the season. Reach out through the contact form on this page or your dedicated account representative.

Additional resources

Review the latest vaccine guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 

Flu resources

COVID-19 resources

RSV resources

Order seasonal vaccines easily

All seasonal vaccine ordering, preorder management, shipment tracking, and returns run through ABC Order, Cencora’s online ordering platform built for pharmacies, physician practices, and health systems.

Related resources

Article

Understanding seasonal vaccines' efforts far beyond the vaccination season
Learn more
 

Connect with our seasonal vaccines team

The Cencora seasonal vaccines team is ready to help, whether you’re preordering for the next season, opening a new site of care, or rebalancing your program mid-season.

Or, if you need general support or additional contact information, visit our Contact us page.

Wholesale distribution and other related pharmacy and pharmaceutical solution services sold by Cencora are performed by and sold through Cencora subsidiary companies and brands including AmerisourceBergen Drug Corporation, ASD Specialty Healthcare, LLC, Besse Medical, Oncology Supply, SmartSource, and Good Neighbor Pharmacy.