FDA Vaccine Panel Meeting To Discuss Flu Shots Reportedly Canceled

Group 1 - The FDA's vaccine advisory committee meeting scheduled for March 13 has been canceled, marking the second disruption since Robert F. Kennedy Jr. became the Health and Human Services secretary [1][2][5] - The agenda for the canceled meeting was to select influenza virus strains for the 2025-26 flu season, and the cancellation suggests that strain selection will not occur this year due to the six-month production timeline [2][3] - The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) also postponed a three-day meeting that was supposed to discuss various vaccines, including a new meningitis vaccine and shots for Chikungunya, RSV, and influenza [5] Group 2 - The ongoing 2024-25 flu season has reported a total of 19,000 deaths, including 86 children, making it one of the worst seasons in recent years according to CDC data [6]