FDA Cancels Flu Vaccine Advisory Meeting Amid Severe Flu Season

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has unexpectedly canceled an annual meeting of its Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC), which was scheduled for March 13 to discuss strain selections for the 2025-2026 seasonal influenza vaccine. This decision comes during what has been described as one of the worst flu seasons in over a decade.

Dr. Paul Offit, a member of the advisory panel and director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, confirmed the cancellation in an email received shortly after 4 p.m. Wednesday. He expressed concern, stating, “We’re all left trying to understand what is going on. Why was this meeting canceled? It’s an important meeting. What’s the plan for flu vaccines this year?”

According to a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the FDA will still provide recommendations to vaccine manufacturers to ensure updated vaccines are available for the upcoming flu season. “The FDA will make public its recommendations to manufacturers in time for updated vaccines to be available for the 2025-2026 influenza season,” spokesperson Andrew Nixon said.

The cancellation has raised alarms among public health officials due to the critical role VRBPAC plays in selecting virus strains for the flu vaccine. Historically, the committee primarily endorses recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO), which analyzes data from various regions to inform its advice on flu strains likely to circulate.

“The selection process typically requires consultation with experts and thorough data analysis,” Dr. Andrew Pavia, a professor of pediatrics and a spokesperson for the Infectious Diseases Society of America, emphasized. He added, “Influenza vaccines aren’t perfect, and predicting the strain each year requires significant expertise and information.”

The emailed notice about the cancellation did not provide an explanation, and some committee members reported not receiving any notification regarding the meeting. As of now, experts are concerned that the lack of input from the advisory panel could affect the effectiveness of next year’s flu vaccine.

This year has seen substantial flu-related morbidity and mortality. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported approximately 19,000 adult deaths and 86 child deaths due to influenza.

Earlier in the month, President Biden’s administration faced criticism for a proposed shift in vaccine production protocols that some experts fear could hinder timely responses to public health needs. Norman Baylor, a former director of the FDA’s Office of Vaccine Research and Review, remarked, “This is critical for making decisions on strain selection for the next influenza vaccine season.”

The cancellation of the VRBPAC meeting is also emblematic of broader challenges facing federal public health efforts, particularly under HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose previous comments about vaccines have raised concerns among public health experts. “I fear that Secretary Kennedy is implementing his long-held skepticism of science and scientific evidence,” commented Lawrence Gostin, director of the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University.

As the flu season persists with high activity rates, experts are urging swift action to mitigate further consequences. Meanwhile, preliminary data from this season’s flu vaccine effectiveness shows a complicated picture. With ongoing discussions about upcoming seasonal vaccines, both public health officials and manufacturers are left awaiting clarity on the next steps.