A meeting of the FDA’s Vaccine and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee, scheduled for March 13, has been canceled, according to committee member Dr. Paul Offit. The meeting was set to discuss flu strains for the 2025-2026 influenza vaccines.
No reason for the cancellation was provided, Offit said. Dr. Stanley Perlman, another committee member, noted he hadn’t been officially notified but had expected it, as the meeting hadn’t been listed in the Federal Register. He also mentioned the cancellation of a subcommittee meeting planned for later in March.
Perlman emphasized the urgency of rescheduling, highlighting that flu vaccines, especially those made using chicken eggs, require significant production time. “We don’t have much time,” he said.
The cancellations come amid reported disruptions at the FDA, CDC, and NIH, following Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s confirmation as Secretary of Health and Human Services earlier this month. Kennedy, a vocal critic of federal health agencies, has denied being “anti-vaccine” and pledged not to block Americans from getting vaccinated.
Last week, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) postponed a separate CDC vaccine advisory meeting to allow for additional public comment.
Spokespeople for the FDA and HHS have not responded to requests for comment.
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