Could flu shot supply fall short this year? FDA's canceled meeting sparks worries
The FDA’s abrupt decision to cancel next month’s vaccine advisory committee meeting is raising concerns about whether the U.S. will have enough of the vaccine for the next flu season.
The Food and Drug Administration’s abrupt decision on Wednesday to cancel next month’s vaccine advisory committee meeting — where experts recommend the strains for next season’s flu shot — is raising concerns about whether the U.S. will have enough of the vaccine for the next flu season.
Drugmakers already face a tight deadline each year to produce enough doses for distribution in the fall.
The federal government typically places preorders for the vaccines in January and February, which appears to have been placed as usual. But drugmakers can’t actually start making the doses until the FDA selects the strains. Shots are usually available by the end of July or early August, said Litjen Tan, co-chair of the flu shot advocacy group the National Adult and Influenza Immunization Summit.
The advisory committee meeting plays a key role, Tan said, because the flu virus is constantly evolving, requiring updates to the vaccine to provide the best protection. This year’s FDA flu meeting was scheduled for March 13, with a final decision from the agency on the strain expected shortly after.
Tan 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 — but no longer.
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