CDC Vaccine Advisory Meeting Postponed Amidst Controversy

A scheduled meeting of a vaccine advisory committee by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the first since the swearing-in of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has been postponed, as announced by a high-ranking official from the HHS. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) was set to convene from February 26 to February 28. This group of independent experts convenes thrice a year representing the CDC to deliberate on the advantages and disadvantages of new or updated vaccines.

According to Andrew Nixon, a senior spokesperson for HHS, the meeting’s postponement is to allow for public comments before the meeting. He stated that the ACIP workgroups met as planned earlier this month and will present at the upcoming ACIP meeting. However, he did not address a request for comments on the agency’s rescheduling of the meeting. Stat News was the first to report the postponement.

Potential Conflict with Sen. Bill Cassidy

The postponement could potentially create tension between Secretary Kennedy and Senator Bill Cassidy (R-La). The senator had previously mentioned that Kennedy promised to inform the Senate ahead of making alterations to certain vaccine programs. Notably, Kennedy, known for his anti-vaccine advocacy, has criticized childhood vaccines. In support of Kennedy’s HHS nomination earlier this month, Cassidy, who is also a physician, mentioned that if confirmed, Kennedy would maintain the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices without changes. Cassidy chairs the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, which oversees HHS.

Dr. Paul Offit, the director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and a member of the Food and Drug Administration’s independent vaccine advisory committee, noted that the postponement aligns with the conservative policy roadmap Project 2025, which advises prohibiting the CDC from issuing guidance on vaccines. He argued that this could be the precursor to eliminating the CDC’s recommending status for vaccines for children.

Impact on CDC's Vaccine Recommendations

The ACIP plays a critical role in assisting the CDC in making recommendations for states and insurers on the vaccines to cover, including childhood vaccinations. The CDC director must accept the committee’s guidance before it becomes official. At present, the CDC is led by acting director Susan Monarez, while President Donald Trump's choice to head the agency, Dr. Dave Weldon, is awaiting Senate confirmation.

As of early Thursday afternoon, the agenda for the meeting remained accessible on the agency’s website, covering discussions and votes on various vaccines. These included a presentation and vote on the British drugmaker GSK’s meningococcal vaccine, votes for a new chikungunya vaccine, and the recently approved at-home nasal spray for influenza. The postponement of the meeting potentially halts critical deliberations and decisions regarding these vaccines.

While insurance companies are mandated to cover recommended vaccines, the lack of CDC and ACIP recommendations for new vaccines gives insurers the discretion to determine whether to cover them. Earlier Thursday, a spokesperson from GSK expressed their anticipation for the meeting to proceed as originally planned but did not provide comments on the postponement. Furthermore, Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious diseases expert at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and a consultant for ACIP, expressed his concern over the postponement, which he learned through the media. He noted that in his 40 years associated with ACIP, he does not recollect a previously postponed meeting, outside of the COVID-19 pandemic, adding weight to the implications of the postponement.

The postponement of the scheduled meeting by the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee, the ACIP, has created ripples of concern and speculation regarding its potential implications on public health policy and vaccine recommendations. The alignment of the postponement with the views of influential figures and organizations raises questions about the future direction of vaccine policies and practices in the United States.