• The FDA abruptly cancels its annual meeting to select flu strains for the 2025-2026 vaccine season, raising questions about the future of flu vaccine production.
• The flu vaccine program has obviously been a speculative and ineffective endeavor, with low efficacy rates and conflicts of interest among advisory committee members.
• The cancellation coincides with Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s confirmation as HHS Secretary, signaling a potential overhaul of vaccine advisory processes and a push for transparency and better science underpinning the FDA’s decisions.
• With decades of flu vaccines campaigns approved by FDA, there still remains no tangible progress in preventing influenza in the population, with vaccinated individuals reporting multiple flu like illnesses and still contracting different strains of the flu.
• Research shows that influenza vaccines can cause pathogenic priming, leading vaccinated individuals more prone to other flu like illnesses and coronavirus infections.

FDA cancels meeting to select flu strains for next year’s flu vaccine campaign

In a surprising move, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has canceled its annual meeting to select flu strains for the upcoming vaccine season, a decision that has sparked outrage and speculation among public health experts and vaccine skeptics alike. The meeting, scheduled for March 13, was intended to determine which influenza strains would be targeted in the 2025-2026 flu vaccines. However, the FDA announced the cancellation without explanation, leaving manufacturers and advisory committee members in the dark.

This unprecedented decision comes amid a broader shakeup in federal health policy under the leadership of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the newly confirmed Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). Kennedy, a vocal critic of vaccine mandates and pharmaceutical industry influence, has long argued that federal health agencies are riddled with conflicts of interest and prioritize profit over public health. His appointment has already begun to reverberate through the FDA and CDC, with the cancellation of the flu strain selection meeting seen as a harbinger of deeper reforms.

A flawed system exposed

For decades, the FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) has convened each March to predict which flu strains will dominate the following winter. This speculative process, often likened to a “crapshoot,” has been the backbone of the U.S. flu vaccine program. Yet, critics argue that the system is fundamentally flawed, as the flu virus mutates rapidly, rendering the selected strains obsolete by the time vaccines are distributed.

Dr. Meryl Nass, a physician and outspoken critic of the flu vaccine program, described the annual strain selection process as “a charade designed to give cover to government officials who don’t want to admit they’re guessing.” She pointed to a 2005 study published in JAMA Internal Medicine that found no correlation between increasing flu vaccination rates and declining mortality. “The flu vaccine program is a multibillion-dollar boondoggle that benefits pharmaceutical companies far more than the public,” Nass said.

The cancellation of the VRBPAC meeting has also raised concerns about potential delays in vaccine production. Dr. Paul Offit, a pediatrician and VRBPAC member, warned that the six-month production cycle for flu vaccines could be disrupted. “If we’re not picking flu strains this year, it’s unclear how manufacturers will proceed,” Offit told The New York Times.

RFK Jr.’s influence begins to take shape

The timing of the cancellation has not gone unnoticed. Just weeks after Kennedy’s confirmation as HHS Secretary, the FDA’s decision to halt the VRBPAC meeting has been interpreted as a direct result of his influence. Kennedy has long criticized the cozy relationships between federal health agencies and the pharmaceutical industry, accusing advisory committees of being “captive to industry.”

In a recent interview with Fox News, Kennedy emphasized the need to eliminate conflicts of interest within public health agencies. “These committees are supposed to protect public health, but they’re often stacked with individuals who have financial ties to the very companies they’re supposed to regulate,” he said.

The cancellation of the VRBPAC meeting follows the postponement of another key public health meeting—the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), which was scheduled for late February. Valerie Borek, a policy analyst for Stand for Health Freedom, praised the decision, calling it a necessary step toward transparency. “It’s not unreasonable for a new HHS Secretary to pause these meetings and ensure that conflicts of interest are addressed,” Borek said.

The flu vaccine’s questionable efficacy

The cancellation has reignited debates about the efficacy of flu vaccines. According to the CDC, this year’s flu shot was only 32% effective in children and adolescents, a significant drop from last year’s 67% efficacy rate. Biologist Christina Parks, Ph.D., argued that the low efficacy rates call into question the very existence of the flu vaccine program.

“The flu vaccine is a failed experiment,” Parks said. “Studies have shown that repeated flu vaccinations can actually increase the risk of severe illness, yet we continue to push these ineffective shots on the public. It’s time to stop pretending the flu vaccine is a solution.”

Critics also point to the CDC’s inflated estimates of flu-related deaths, which they say are used to justify the vaccine program. Nass noted that while the CDC claims up to 52,000 Americans die from the flu each year, death certificate data suggests the actual number is closer to 2,000. “The CDC’s models are designed to scare people into getting vaccinated,” Nass said.

To make matters worse, there is DOD research showing that flu vaccines can cause pathogenic priming, making vaccinated individuals more susceptible to other respiratory viruses, including coronavirus infections. This issue is seen in children who get the flu vaccine, too. In one study, children who got the flu vaccine were three times more likely to be hospitalized for flu!

A turning point for public health?

The cancellation of the VRBPAC meeting marks a potential turning point in U.S. vaccine policy. Under Kennedy’s leadership, the FDA and CDC may finally be forced to confront the flaws in their advisory processes and prioritize transparency over profit.

Albert Benavides, founder of VAERSAware.com, welcomed the shift, noting that the mainstream narrative has long ignored the risks associated with flu vaccines. “There are over 2,600 deaths linked to flu vaccines in the VAERS database, yet these risks are rarely discussed,” Benavides said. “It’s time for a honest conversation about the costs and benefits of flu vaccines.”

As the dust settles on this unprecedented decision, one thing is clear: the era of blind trust in federal health agencies may be coming to an end. With RFK Jr. at the helm, the FDA and CDC are being forced to reckon with their past failures and chart a new course—one that prioritizes public health over corporate interests.

In the words of Dr. Meryl Nass, “The cancellation of the VRBPAC meeting is a small but significant step toward dismantling a system that has failed the American people for far too long. The question now is whether this is the beginning of real change—or just another chapter in the same old story.”

Sources include:

ChildrensHealthDefense.org

ChildrensHealthDefense.org

Pubmed.gov

ScienceDirect.com