FDA cancels meeting to pick flu vaccine strains for next winter
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The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday canceled a planned March 13 committee meeting to update next winter's flu shot.
Why it matters: It's the second vaccine policy meeting to be canceled since Robert F. Kennedy Jr. became secretary of Health and Human Services.
- RFK Jr., a vaccine skeptic, has criticized vaccine advisory committees for potential conflicts of interest and undue influence from the pharmaceutical industry.
Zoom in: The FDA will make public its recommendations to manufacturers in time for updated vaccines to be available for the 2025-2026 influenza season, a spokesperson said in a statement.
- A reason for canceling the March 13 meeting of the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee was not given.
The big picture: Every year, flu vaccine manufacturers depend on the FDA to decide which flu strains to include in the vaccines for Americans.
- The FDA selects these strains based on predictions of which flu variants will spread in the upcoming winter.
- This decision is typically made in early March, following recommendations from the World Health Organization's experts, who analyze flu data from across the Northern Hemisphere.
- A WHO advisory committee is scheduled to meet on Friday.
Zoom out: The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices was informed earlier this month that its meeting, originally scheduled for this week, has been postponed.
- The committee was set to update the nation's vaccination guidelines for 10 infectious diseases, including COVID-19, mpox and the flu.
- A rare disease meeting also got pushed off by HHS this month.
What they're saying: "The abrupt cancellation of the FDA's next vaccine advisory committee meeting is a deeply concerning development that could delay and disrupt a critical step in production of the annual flu vaccine," Partnership to Fight Infectious Disease said in a statement.
- The group consists of patients, health care experts and public health organizations addressing the global threat of infectious diseases.
- "Canceling transparency and public expert committees undermines vaccine confidence and sows doubt in a process that has long safeguarded public health. The consequences are not theoretical. They're deadly," the group added.
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