The Department of Health and Human Services has postponed the first meeting of a key Centers for Disease Control and Prevention vaccine advisory committee since Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was sworn in as HHS secretary, sparking concerns about the panel's future, The Hill reported.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which advises the CDC on vaccine recommendations, was scheduled to meet Feb. 26-28 to discuss several vaccine issues, including recommendations for meningitis, influenza, and RSV vaccines.
HHS confirmed that the meeting would be postponed, though no new date had been set.
"The ACIP meeting will be postponed to accommodate public comment in advance of the meeting, and the ACIP workgroups met as scheduled this month and will present at the upcoming ACIP meeting," HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon said in an email.
The panel convenes three times a year, and while the CDC is not required to adopt its recommendations, any vaccines endorsed by the committee and signed off by the CDC director must be covered by health insurance.
ACIP members, who are not government employees, include up to 18 voting members representing medical and public health professionals and a consumer representative.
Public comments are typically submitted online two weeks before each meeting, with a lottery system allowing some individuals to speak live.
However, the online portal for public comments was never activated before the planned meeting, preventing public input.
The delay comes amid growing uncertainty over ACIP's future under Kennedy, a longtime critic of vaccines. Kennedy and his allies have accused ACIP members of having conflicts of interest that compromise HHS research priorities. During his confirmation hearing, Kennedy pledged to address these concerns.
Adding to the uncertainty, President Donald Trump signed an executive order Wednesday calling for a review and potential termination of federal advisory committees deemed "unnecessary," a move that could impact ACIP.
As of early Thursday afternoon, ACIP Chair Dr. H. Keipp Talbot said committee members had not been notified of the postponement, according to The Hill.
The Partnership to Fight Infectious Disease and 50 medical organizations and experts, including the American Medical Association, sent a letter to Kennedy and acting CDC Director Susan Monarez urging them to reschedule the meeting promptly.
"Making America healthy requires healthy discussion and timely, evidence-based decisions. This meeting should be no different," they wrote.
"Rescheduling this critical meeting ... would represent a meaningful early follow-through from the Trump administration and its new HHS Secretary to ensure Americans receive the information needed to protect themselves against vaccine-preventable illnesses, confirming immunization's importance in the mission to make America healthier."
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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