‘Short Sighted’: What Canceled FDA Meetings And WHO Withdrawal Mean For Fall Flu Vaccines

“If you want a vaccine available for the fall, the strains included have to be decided by springtime,” said Dr. Dan Barouch, director of the Center for Virology and Vaccine Research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, adding that the meeting’s cancellation is a “clear departure from prior practice.”

The FDA has used advisory committees for the evaluation of drugs since the 1960s. Barouch said that even though the FDA has internal staff that could make these decisions by themselves, it’s important to have external input, especially from academics.

“It brings external experts from around the country, as well as an opportunity for debate and public comment,” he said. Read Full Article…