A meeting of advisers on vaccine policy to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been postponed, as confirmed by a Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson. This decision follows the recent appointment of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as HHS secretary, who has expressed intentions to investigate various aspects, including the childhood immunization schedule.
The Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP) was originally scheduled to convene from February 26 to 28 to deliberate and vote on vaccine recommendations for flu and other diseases. However, the meeting has been rescheduled to allow for public input prior to the gathering. According to a draft agenda from January 19, the ACIP meeting was set to address critical vaccine-related issues.
Andrew Nixon, the spokesperson for HHS, stated that the ACIP workgroups have already conducted their meetings as planned this month and will present their findings during the rescheduled ACIP meeting. The exact date for the postponed meeting was not disclosed at this time.
The decision to postpone the meeting was brought to light by the health news site STAT, which reported on the development. The rescheduling of the ACIP meeting underscores the significance of public engagement and feedback in shaping vaccine policy decisions.
