The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has canceled a meeting of scientists advising the agency on vaccine policy, sparking concerns about the upcoming flu season. The meeting was scheduled for March, but it was unexpectedly postponed without explanation.
Epidemiologist Michael Osterholm, head of the University Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, expressed his concerns about the implications of canceling the meeting. “It’s like planting a garden,” he said. “If you postpone it two months, you might be in trouble when you can harvest, and if you can harvest it at all.”
The timeline for flu vaccines is tight, with the virus taking around six months to grow before being available in late summer or early fall. The FDA relies on data from meetings like this one to inform its decisions about which strains of the flu virus to include in next year’s vaccine.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has been critical of vaccine policy, is now leading the FDA. Osterholm expressed concern that the cancellation of the meeting could impact the development of the flu vaccine. However, he also noted that the process for growing the virus used in the vaccine is secure and that there are measures in place to prevent contamination.
The cancellation of the meeting has also raised concerns about the future of vaccination programs in states where anti-vaccine sentiment is on the rise. Osterholm warned that without guidance from the FDA, it could be difficult for states to develop effective vaccination programs.
Overall, the cancellation of the vaccine panel meeting highlights the challenges facing public health officials as they navigate the complexities of vaccine development and distribution.
Source: https://www.mprnews.org/story/2025/02/28/rfk-jr-cancelled-flu-vaccine-meetings-what-does-that-mean-for-fall-shots