FDA cancels vaccine advisory committee meeting

The Food and Drug Administration canceled an upcoming vaccine advisory committee meeting to discuss influenza virus strains, according to committee member Paul Offit. 

The meeting was scheduled for March 13. Committee members received a cancellation email — which was first reported by Jeremy Faust of Inside Medicine — on Wednesday afternoon. Offit said the email contained no information about rescheduling the meeting, and noted that the meeting is a critical resource for vaccine makers trying to figure out which flu strains to include in their shots for the next flu season.

“It’s an important meeting,” Offit said. “Vaccine makers look to this meeting to determine which strains to include in this year’s vaccine.”