Disruptions to government-sanctioned advisory committee meetings on vaccines are becoming increasingly common after the recent confirmation of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., noted vaccine skeptic, as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Reports surfaced Wednesday that a meeting of the FDA's Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC)—previously scheduled for March 13—had been canceled. Reuters, CNN and CNBC, citing VRBPAC member Paul Offit, M.D., said the meeting wouldn't go on as planned. A cancellation email went out to committee members Monday afternoon, The New York Times reported, citing a senior official familiar with the decision.
The meeting had been planned to discuss flu strain recommendations for the upcoming season, according to the reports. Because egg-based flu vaccines take months to produce, strain recommendations are typically given to vaccine manufacturers well in advance of the actual flu season.
The FDA's Advisory Committee calendar, updated as of Wednesday, shows no March meetings scheduled. As for the VRBPAC specifically, its "meeting materials" archive shows no content for the current year.
The VRBPAC development follows recent news that a previously planned Feb. 26-28 meeting of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Vaccine Practices was postponed. Among the topics for consideration at that meeting were recommendations for GSK’s 5-in-1 meningococcal shot and Bavarian Nordic’s chikungunya vaccine. Both shots were recently approved by the FDA.
The Senate voted to confirm RFK Jr. as HHS secretary on Feb. 13. Shortly after, he told HHS staffers that no topic would be "off limits" in his effort to fight chronic diseases. During his confirmation process, the HHS secretary pledged to Sen. Bill Cassidy that he would "work within current vaccine approval and safety monitoring systems," according to the senator's synopsis of discussions he had with RFK Jr. and others in the Trump administration.