HHS postpones vaccine advisory meeting
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Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy's vaccine advisers have postponed their February meeting amid continued tensions within the Trump administration over removing COVID-19 shots from the market and other policy moves.
Why it matters: The panel, which advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has voted to endorse changes to vaccine standards, including dropping the recommendation that all infants receive a Hepatitis B shot.
State of play: An HHS spokesperson confirmed a meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices scheduled for February 25 through 27 has been postponed.
- HHS did not respond to questions about the agenda or whether the meeting would be rescheduled.
- Spokesperson Andrew Nixon said additional information will be shared as available. The panel typically meets three times a year.
Between the lines: President Trump last week expressed frustration to the Food and Drug Administration over how it was handling vaccine policy, Politico reported, though the White House has denied that report.
Zoom out: The American Academy of Pediatrics and other medical associations had asked the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts to block the upcoming meeting as part of an lawsuit challenging changes to the childhood immunization schedule.
- The court had not yet issued a decision as of Thursday afternoon.
