A meeting of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), originally scheduled for late February, has been postponed to next month. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) confirmed the delay, stating that the agency “will not hold the ACIP [Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices] meeting later this month.” The meeting was initially set for February 26-27.
Bloomberg News reported that the ACIP is now expected to meet in mid-March, citing an unnamed source. However, HHS did not confirm a new date. “Further information will be shared as available,” an HHS spokesperson told Fierce Pharma.
The postponement follows recent leadership changes at both HHS and CDC. Jim O’Neill, who had been serving as acting director of the CDC while also holding the position of HHS Deputy Secretary, left his role earlier this week. Jay Bhattacharya, head of the National Institutes of Health, has taken over as acting CDC director.
The vaccine sector has seen additional uncertainty after FDA communications issues came to light. Last week, Moderna received a refuse-to-file letter from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding its mRNA-based flu vaccine application; however, this week the FDA agreed to review it after all. This episode is part of broader communication challenges at the FDA that have affected several companies in recent months. More details are available at https://www.fiercepharma.com/vaccines/fda-moderna-outright-flu-refusal-just-latest-case-crossed-fda-signals.
Concerns about US immunization policy have grown since Robert F. Kennedy Jr., known for his skepticism toward vaccines, became HHS Secretary just over a year ago. In June last year, Kennedy dismissed previous ACIP members because he believed they were acting “as a rubber stamp for industry profit-taking agendas.” He then appointed new members with similar views on vaccines.
These personnel changes have shaped committee recommendations. In December last year, ACIP advised delaying infant hepatitis B vaccination until two months after birth for infants whose mothers test negative for hepatitis B virus—a significant change from long-standing practice soon adopted by CDC.
Last month saw further revisions when CDC removed six vaccines—including those for flu, COVID-19 and rotavirus—from its childhood immunization schedule out of 17 previously recommended shots.
These policy shifts have faced criticism from health experts and organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The AAP filed a lawsuit against Kennedy and other officials in July 2025 alleging that these actions endanger vulnerable populations by exposing them to serious illness with possible long-term consequences. A judge recently allowed this legal challenge to proceed by denying an HHS motion to dismiss it.
