WASHINGTON, D.C. (KATU) — U.S. Senators Patty Murray, Tammy Baldwin, and Angela Alsobrooks expressed grave concerns over the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) decision to cancel a critical meeting amid the worst flu season in 15 years.
The Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) meeting, originally scheduled for March 13, was intended to discuss and recommend influenza strains for the upcoming flu vaccines.
In a letter sent on Friday to Dr. Marty Makary, President Trump’s nominee for FDA Commissioner, the senators criticized the cancellation, pushing the importance of the annual meeting. “The cancellation of next week’s VRBPAC meeting is unprecedented,” they wrote. “This Committee has met every year for the past 30 years to discuss the influenza virus vaccines for the upcoming flu season and make recommendations to the FDA.”
Vaccine efficacy for the 2024-2025 flu season was up to 78% against influenza-associated hospitalization. According to flu.com, even vaccines, even with lower effectiveness, can mean the difference between a mild illness and a hospital stay.
Studies have suggested flu vaccination lowers the risk of flu-related hospitalization by 41% in young children and 82% in adults. People who who still get sick with flu even after getting the vaccine are also less likely to be admitted to the ICU.
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported that the current flu season has resulted in at least 33 million illnesses, 430,000 hospitalizations, and 19,000 deaths as of Feb. 15, 2025. The senators warned that any delay in the VRBPAC meeting could impact the availability and effectiveness of flu vaccines.
In addition to the FDA canceling the meeting, the CDC also canceled its “Wild to Mild” campaign which aims at promoting flu vaccinations. The campaign was revealed in the fall of 2023, aiming to “reset public expectations around the benefits of flu vaccination.”
A new study from Cornell University showed better protection and broader immunity to various flu strains could be achieved by taking a COVID-flu vaccine.
The letter questioned Dr. Makary’s stance on public health leadership, urging him to clarify his position on vaccine skepticism. “We intend to use your nomination hearing next week to understand whether you support this ill-informed measure to slow critical public health decision making,” the senators stated.
Dr. Makary is scheduled to appear before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee on March 6 for his nomination hearing. The senators requested that he be prepared to address several questions regarding the rescheduling of the VRBPAC meeting and his commitment to accepting expert recommendations for vaccine development.
