FDA Cancels Vaccine Meeting, Raising Concerns About Flu Shot Supply

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The Food and Drug Administration's decision to cancel a vaccine advisory committee meeting has raised concerns about the availability of flu shots for the next season. The meeting, which was scheduled for March 13, plays a crucial role in selecting the strains for the flu vaccine. According to experts, the flu virus is constantly evolving, requiring updates to the vaccine to provide the best protection. The cancelation of the meeting comes amid a particularly bad flu season, with as many as 910,000 hospitalizations and at least 86 children and 19,000 adults having died. The FDA typically selects the strains for the flu vaccine in March, and drugmakers can't start producing the doses until then.

Drugmakers already face a tight deadline to produce enough doses for distribution in the fall. The federal government typically places preorders for the vaccines in January and February, but manufacturers can't start making the doses until the strains are selected. Shots are usually available by the end of July or early August. Litjen Tan, co-chair of the flu shot advocacy group the National Adult and Influenza Immunization Summit, said that depending on the vaccine technology used, manufacturers can wait until late March for input from the FDA on strain selection to produce enough doses for the fall. However, if the delay is any longer than late March, it's going to put manufacturers into a huge bind.

The cancelation of the meeting has sparked worries about the availability of flu shots for the next season. Dr. Ofer Levy, director of the precision vaccines program at Boston Children's Hospital, said that if the FDA decides not to seek input from its committee, it won't be entirely in the dark. The World Health Organization's advisory committee is convening to decide which strains should be included in next season's flu vaccines for the Northern Hemisphere, which usually guides the FDA's strain selection. However, it's unclear whether drugmakers can begin producing doses for the US based on the WHO's recommendation or if they must wait for the FDA's guidance.

Here are some key points to consider: * The FDA's vaccine advisory committee meeting was canceled, raising concerns about the flu shot supply for the next season. * The meeting plays a crucial role in selecting the strains for the flu vaccine. * Drugmakers face a tight deadline to produce enough doses for distribution in the fall. * The federal government typically places preorders for the vaccines in January and February. * The World Health Organization's advisory committee is convening to decide which strains should be included in next season's flu vaccines for the Northern Hemisphere. * The FDA's decision has sparked worries about the availability of flu shots for the next season, with some experts warning that many lives could be lost if the vaccine is not available on time.

The flu vaccine is recommended for everyone over 6 months old, and data so far show that this year's flu vaccine is 63% to 78% effective for preventing hospitalization in children and teens, and 41% to 55% effective for adults. Flu vaccine manufacturers are still preparing for next year's flu season, with some manufacturers already beginning production. The FDA's decision to cancel the meeting has raised concerns about the agency's commitment to public health, with some experts warning that the decision could have serious consequences for the upcoming flu season.