- The CDC canceled its Feb. 25–27 ACIP meeting as a federal judge weighs whether to block recent panel changes made by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
- HHS confirmed the cancellation but did not provide a reason; the meeting was expected to include discussion of COVID-19 vaccines.
- ACIP, a 17-member advisory panel, plays a key role in shaping national vaccine recommendations followed by providers and public health officials.
- Kennedy has taken steps to reshape U.S. vaccine policy, including ending broad recommendations for some vaccines and replacing all ACIP members, citing conflict-of-interest concerns.
- Newly appointed advisers later backed updated flu, RSV, COVID-19 and hepatitis B guidance – moves officials say are aimed at ensuring vaccine policy remains grounded in scientific review and transparency.
Trump administration officials have canceled a scheduled February meeting of a key federal vaccine advisory panel, as a federal judge considers whether to block recent changes made to the committee by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
According to the official website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) had been slated to meet Feb. 25–27. The panel advises the CDC on vaccine recommendations and immunization guidelines used nationwide.
Andrew Nixon, a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), confirmed on Wednesday, Feb. 18, that the meeting will not take place as planned.
“We will not hold the ACIP meeting later this month,” Nixon wrote in an email. He declined to provide a reason for the cancellation, adding that “further information will be shared as available.”
The CDC lists ACIP meetings publicly and typically streams them online. Agendas often include votes on new or updated vaccine recommendations, presentations from agency scientists and discussions of emerging public health concerns. Although no formal agenda had been posted, ACIP was anticipated to discuss COVID-19 vaccines during the meeting that has since been canceled.
The cancellation of the February meeting leaves uncertain whether planned votes or presentations will be delayed. Neither the CDC nor HHS immediately responded to questions about whether the meeting would be rescheduled.
Kennedy moves to reshape U.S. vaccine policy
ACIP, as BrightU.AI‘s Enoch noted, is composed of 17 experts in medicine and public health who meet three times a year to review scientific data and recommend vaccine administration to the CDC. The significance of ACIP to the CDC lies in its role as the foundation for vaccine use by healthcare providers and public health officials nationwide.
However, Kennedy has undertaken several steps to overhaul U.S. vaccine policy.
For instance, in January, Kennedy and other officials agreed to end broad recommendations for several vaccines, including influenza shots for children. During a call with reporters, officials said they anticipated discussing potential future changes to CDC vaccine guidance with the advisory panel.
In June, Kennedy dismissed all members of ACIP, saying some had conflicts of interest. He later appointed a new slate of advisers, including Dr. Robert Malone, a critic of COVID-19 vaccines and Dr. Cody Meissner, a former committee member.
Later that year, ACIP voted to recommend that the CDC continue endorsing annual flu shots, provided they do not contain the mercury-based preservative thimerosal, advise a second passive immunization against respiratory syncytial virus and narrow guidance for COVID-19 and hepatitis B vaccines. The recommendations were subsequently approved by either Kennedy or the CDC director.
All this, to help ensure vaccine policy decisions remain grounded in scientific review and public transparency.
Watch this video about Christopher A. Shaw’s book “Dispatches from the Vaccine Wars: Fighting for Human Freedom during the Great Reset.”
This video is from the BrightLearn channel on Brighteon.com.
Sources include:
TheEpochTimes.com
CNN.com
BrightU.ai
Brighteon.com
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