Originally published by our sister publication Infectious Disease Special Edition
By Marie Rosenthal, MS
The regularly scheduled meeting for the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has been postponed. This was to be the first vaccine advisory meeting since Robert F. Kennedy Jr. became secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.
The ACIP, which is composed of independent experts, usually holds three meetings per year to review scientific data and vote on immunization recommendations for the nation. The first meeting of the year had been scheduled for Feb. 26-28, but was postponed according to a CDC spokesperson to “accommodate public comment in advance of the meeting.”
The spokesperson said the ACIP work groups had met as scheduled this month and will present at the upcoming ACIP meeting. Several vaccines are on the current agenda for consideration, including the two recently approved vaccines: the chikungunya vaccine, recombinant vaccine for injection (Vimkunya, Bavarian Nordic) and the 5-in-1 meningococcal vaccine (Penmenvy, GSK).
Bill Cassidy, MD, (R-LA), who voted to send RFK Jr.’s name to the full senate for a vote, and then voted for him, said that Mr. Kennedy assured him about his "commitment to protecting the public health benefit of vaccination.” Mr. Cassidy spoke before the Senate after the vote to send RFK Jr.'s name forward.
“He [RFK Jr.] has also committed that he would work within the current vaccine approval and safety monitoring systems, and not establish parallel systems. If confirmed, he will maintain the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices without changes,” Mr. Cassidy assured.
Mr. Cassidy did not return requests for comment before this story was posted.
A new meeting date was not provided.