The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has postponed an October meeting of its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), an expert panel whose views are critical in the rollout of FDA-approved vaccines in the U.S.
According to the panel’s website run by the CDC, the ACIP meeting previously scheduled for Oct. 22–Oct. 23 will not take place. The meeting agenda remains unclear. A spokesperson for the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) told Bloomberg News that the details of the meeting will be made public online after finalization.
However, during the last meeting held on Sept. 18 – Sept. 19, ACIP members decided to postpone a vote on whether to recommend a delay in hepatitis B immunization for some newborns.
The rescheduled meeting was set to become the third gathering of the ACIP members selected by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in June after he abruptly fired all 17 former committee members, citing conflicts of interest and other concerns.
CDC advisory committees issue non-binding recommendations. However, the federal agency usually follows them before issuing its final guidelines, which, in the case of immunizations, are crucial for health insurers to determine vaccine coverage.