During a Senate confirmation hearing Thursday, Dr. Martin Makary, President Trump’s choice to head the Food and Drug Administration, faced questioning from both Republican and Democratic lawmakers regarding a recently canceled advisory committee meeting on influenza vaccines.
Makary, a surgeon from Johns Hopkins, deflected calls to reinstate the meeting, which was meant for advisers to discuss this year’s flu vaccine composition. The panel members had been informed just last week that their scheduled meeting would not take place.
Rather than commit to reconvening the meeting, Makary indicated he would conduct a broader assessment of the advisory committee’s role in FDA vaccine decisions and its overall utility. “You have my commitment to review what the committees are doing and how they are being used,” he stated in response to questions from Senator Bill Cassidy, who chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee.
The meeting’s cancellation has sparked concerns among experts, particularly given that newly confirmed Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has historically challenged U.S. vaccination policies and expressed doubts about certain standard vaccinations, including measles and hepatitis B shots. While the committee typically endorses recommendations from an international group, the cancellation has raised questions about potential changes to the FDA’s vaccine review process.
Senator Cassidy, who had previously secured vaccine-related
commitments from Kennedy, expressed concern that canceling the meeting contradicted Kennedy’s calls for transparency in government medical decisions. When pressed on how he would promote transparency as commissioner, Makary repeatedly emphasized he was not involved in the cancellation decision.
Other senators, including Democrats Patty Murray and Tammy Baldwin, along with Republican Susan Collins, sought clarity on Makary’s plans for managing the advisory committee if confirmed. Makary responded that he would “reevaluate which topics deserve a convening of the advisory committee members and which may not require a convening.”
In an exchange with Senator Rand Paul, Makary acknowledged concerns about potential conflicts of interest among committee members, an issue Kennedy has frequently raised about the FDA. Despite existing vetting procedures and disclosure requirements for committee members, Makary indicated the ethics policies warranted review.
If confirmed, Makary would lead an agency responsible for regulating substantial portions of the U.S. economy, including food, tobacco, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices. His leadership would come at a challenging time, as the Trump administration has mandated significant reductions in federal workforce numbers. While the FDA has already experienced layoffs, some staff have subsequently been asked to return, and a significant portion of the agency’s operations are funded through industry user fees.
Though considered a more conventional choice than Kennedy, Makary has previously criticized the FDA, particularly regarding its pandemic-era decisions. As an author, he has challenged what he describes as scientific “groupthink” and advocated for reassessing certain medical “dogmas” surrounding issues like peanut allergies and hormone replacement therapy.
The surgeon’s appointment comes at a crucial time for the agency, which must balance its regulatory responsibilities with potential organizational changes. His responses during the hearing suggest a willingness to examine existing processes while raising questions about how he might approach the FDA’s traditional reliance on advisory committees for scientific guidance.