The Department of Health and Human Services has failed to meet the legal deadline to announce an upcoming meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, raising concerns about whether the meeting will be postponed. According to federal law, agencies must notify the public of advisory committee meetings within a certain timeframe to allow for public input. However, as of Wednesday, no notice had been posted, missing both the seven-day and 15-day deadlines required by law.
The meeting, one of three regularly scheduled ACIP meetings held annually, was expected to include discussions on Covid-19 vaccines and other mRNA-based immunizations. The ACIP makes recommendations on vaccine use to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with final approval needed from the CDC director or the HHS secretary. It is rare for ACIP recommendations to be rejected.
The lack of organization for the February meeting is seen as a sign of broader dysfunction at the agency. Acting CDC Director Jim O’Neill recently departed HHS, part of a larger reshuffling attributed to refocusing the agency on politically popular issues ahead of the midterms. O’Neill had taken over after CDC Director Susan Monarez was forced out for refusing to align with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on vaccination policy.
It remains unclear if another acting director will be appointed for the CDC. HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon mentioned Ralph Abraham, the CDC’s principal deputy director, as the senior official. Internal discussions among CDC staff indicated uncertainty about the upcoming ACIP meeting, with some believing it may be postponed due to the lack of a Federal Register notice.
The ACIP was reconstituted by Kennedy last year, with new members appointed after he dismissed the previous panel. The new panel includes members with vaccine-skeptical views, causing concern among public health experts. Despite attempts to shift focus away from vaccine policy changes, recent events, such as the FDA’s reversal of a decision on Moderna’s flu shot application, have kept vaccine issues at the forefront.
The American Academy of Pediatrics has also raised concerns about upcoming ACIP meetings as part of a larger lawsuit disputing vaccine policy changes made by Kennedy. A federal judge has yet to rule on the request for a delay in the meeting. Overall, the uncertainty surrounding the ACIP meeting reflects ongoing challenges within the agency regarding vaccine policy and decision-making processes.
