The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has canceled a meeting of its Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee to select a flu strain for this year’s flu vaccine, citing “no reason” for the cancellation.
The move comes after Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s confirmation as head of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which oversees several agencies including the FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Health groups and experts have expressed concerns about the lack of transparency and questioned the motives behind the decision, with some accusing the agency of ignoring science. The cancellation has left vaccine manufacturers in the dark about what is going on at the FDA.
“We don’t know who’s going to be in the room or who’s engaged with this,” said Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association. “It’s a black box.”
Experts fear that the decision may disrupt the vaccine manufacturer’s process and timeline, and warn that similar scenarios could play out for COVID-19 strain selection.
The FDA has promised to make public its recommendations to manufacturers in time for updated vaccines to be available for the 2025-2026 influenza season.
Source: https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2025-02-28/health-experts-sound-alarm-as-fda-cancels-key-vaccine-meeting