A scheduled meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), which advises the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on vaccine policy, has been postponed. The meeting was originally set to take place in Atlanta from Feb. 26 to 28, marking the first gathering since the appointment of the new Health and Human Services secretary.
The decision to postpone the meeting was confirmed by the HHS director of communications, Andrew Nixon. The ACIP meetings website also reflected the change, although a new meeting date has not been announced at this time. Typically, the ACIP convenes three times a year, in February, June, and October.
The postponement comes amidst scrutiny of the ACIP, with the group being included in a list of federal advisory committees under review following an executive order issued by President Donald Trump. The new HHS secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has been vocal about his intentions to investigate the childhood vaccine schedule, emphasizing the importance of preventing diseases like measles and polio.
The ACIP plays a crucial role in advising the CDC director on the utilization of FDA-approved vaccines, including recommendations on which populations should receive vaccinations and when. While the committee's decisions are not binding, they are typically followed by agency directors.
Membership of the ACIP includes various experts such as academics, a chief medical officer of a community health center, a state public health official, and a family medicine practice owner. One committee member, speaking anonymously, mentioned learning about the meeting postponement through news reports.
The now-delayed meeting agenda featured discussions on topics such as a new meningitis vaccine, a vaccine for chikungunya, a mosquito-borne illness, as well as updates on RSV and influenza vaccines.
