The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s postponed vaccine advisory committee meeting has been rescheduled for April 15-16, according to confirmation from the Department of Health and Human Services.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) meeting, originally planned for late February, was unexpectedly delayed following Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s appointment as health secretary. At the time, officials cited the need for additional public comment period as the reason for the postponement.
HHS Communications Director Andrew Nixon confirmed the new dates in correspondence with BioPharma Dive. The meeting’s agenda, detailed in a federal register notice posted Friday, will cover several critical topics including the ongoing measles outbreak and guidelines for various vaccines including COVID-19, HPV, monkeypox, and RSV.
Notably absent from the revised agenda are discussions about influenza vaccine guidelines, which were initially scheduled for the February meeting. This follows a pattern of disruption in vaccine policy meetings, as evidenced by the recent cancellation of a Food and Drug Administration meeting meant to discuss flu shot composition for the upcoming fall and winter season. The FDA proceeded to provide recommendations to vaccine manufacturers without consulting its advisory committee, breaking from traditional protocol.
ACIP, comprising external vaccine experts and federal health officials, convenes multiple times annually to evaluate data and make vaccine recommendations to the CDC director. The leadership position at CDC remains vacant after President Trump’s nominee, Dave Weldon, was withdrawn before Senate hearings last week.
The timing of these meeting disruptions coincides with a significant measles outbreak in Texas and Oklahoma, where cases have reached 301, including the first measles-related child death since 2015. Kennedy, who reports directly to the CDC director, has maintained controversial positions on vaccination. Following the child’s death, he published an opinion piece asserting that vaccination decisions should remain personal choices.
Kennedy’s appointment has raised concerns in the medical community due to his history of questioning vaccine safety and efficacy,
particularly regarding the MMR vaccine that prevents measles, mumps, and rubella. During his confirmation hearings, he maintained his stance on possible connections between vaccines and autism rates, despite substantial scientific evidence disproving such links.
The CDC is reportedly planning a comprehensive study examining potential relationships between vaccines and autism, despite extensive previous research definitively disproving any connection. This development comes amid growing public health concerns about the impact of vaccine skepticism on disease prevention efforts.
The rescheduled ACIP meeting represents a crucial moment for public health policy, particularly as it coincides with ongoing disease outbreaks and evolving vaccination strategies. The committee’s recommendations typically serve as the foundation for national immunization practices and public health responses to disease threats.
These developments reflect broader changes in federal health agency operations under new leadership, with potential implications for public health policy and vaccine implementation strategies. The medical and public health communities continue to monitor these shifts closely, particularly given the current context of rising measles cases and ongoing debates about vaccination policies.
The upcoming April meeting will mark the first ACIP gathering since Kennedy’s appointment to HHS leadership, making it a closely watched event for health professionals, policy makers, and the public health community. The outcomes of these discussions could significantly influence national vaccination policies and public health strategies moving forward.