The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) unexpectedly canceled its annual meeting with advisers to update next season’s influenza vaccines, leaving experts and officials scrambling to understand the reason behind the decision. The panel, which advises on vaccine strains, was set to meet on March 13 to discuss how to update the shots for the 2025-2026 flu season.
The FDA typically uses recommendations from a World Health Organization (WHO) meeting to guide its decisions on vaccine strains. However, with the meeting canceled, it is unclear what strain of the virus will be targeted by next year’s vaccines. The cancellation has also raised concerns about the effectiveness of this past season’s vaccine, which may not have been as effective against one common flu strain.
Typically, the FDA announces meeting dates around a month in advance, but no public disclosure was made for next month’s meeting. The agency has stated that it will make its recommendations to manufacturers in time for updated vaccines to be available for the 2025-2026 influenza season.
Industry experts suggest that the FDA could have picked the vaccine strains on its own without consulting the panel, although this would be unprecedented in recent history. The cancellation of the meeting has left many wondering about the plan for flu vaccines this year and how it will impact public health.
Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fda-cancels-flu-vaccine-meeting