File Photo: November 4, 2009, the headquarters of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is visible on Silver Spring, Maryland.
Jason Reed | Reuters
A member of the advisory group told CNBC on Wednesday.
Meeting Advisory Committee on Vaccines and Related Biological Productsor VRBPAC is held every March to select influenza strains for the upcoming fall and winter releases.
But the panel member Dr. Paul Offit told CNBC he received an email Wednesday at 4:18 p.m. ET saying the upcoming March 13 meeting was cancelled. He said there was no indication whether it would be rescheduled.
“Who canceled the meeting? Why did they cancel the meeting? Will manufacturers turn to the World Health Organization to determine the strain for this year’s flu vaccine?” Offit told CNBC.
The Department of Health and Human Services did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The cancelled meeting was at Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who now leads HHS. Early actions that may affect vaccine absorption In the United States, Kennedy’s policies have a long history of vaccine suspicion.
The same is true during the CDC’s particularly cruel flu season data It shows that the flu has caused an estimated 910,000 hospitalizations since October, making the season the worst in at least a decade.
Earlier this month Report. It is not clear whether the meeting will be rescheduled.
Kennedy also said last week that he would review the children’s vaccine schedule despite earlier pledges not to do so. He promises a new “Make America Health Again” committee will investigate vaccines, pesticides and antidepressants to see if they contribute to the rise of chronic diseases in the United States
Meanwhile, the Trump administration is weighing raising funds for the modern bird flu vaccine Report Wednesday.
The country is fighting a record bird flu outbreak that affected dozens of cattle herds as well as poultry flocks, which has caused egg prices to soar. Its rapid spread among animals has raised concerns about the wider spread to humans. ”
