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FDA Annual Flu Vaccine Meeting and CDC’s ‘Wild to Mild’ Campaign Canceled
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Key Takeaways
- The FDA's annual flu vaccine meeting was canceled without rescheduling, raising concerns about future vaccine policy decisions.
- The CDC's "Wild to Mild" campaign, aimed at promoting flu vaccination, was canceled, potentially increasing vaccine hesitancy.
The decisions were made amid the United States worst flu outbreak in over 2 decades.
The cancellation of key public health initiatives by the FDA and CDC has sparked concerns among health care leaders, highlighting the growing instability within federal health agencies under Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s leadership. Among the latest casualties are the FDA’s annual flu vaccine meeting and the CDC’s “Wild to Mild” influenza vaccine campaign—two efforts critical to guiding seasonal vaccination strategies and public health messaging. The sudden cancellations have left experts questioning the future of flu vaccine policy and the broader implications for vaccine confidence amid rising hesitancy.1,2
Health care worker filling syringe from flu vaccine vial | Image Credit: © Aron M - Austria - stock.adobe.com
On February 26, 2025, FDA officials from the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee received an email informing them that their upcoming annual flu vaccine meeting was canceled with no indication of it being rescheduled. The meeting, which was set to happen on March 13, 2025, has occurred every year since the 1960s—even during the pandemic.1
Paul Offitt, MD, director of the vaccine education center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, co-inventor of the rotavirus vaccine, and member of the FDA's Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee, told Time, “[The email] said the meeting was canceled—not postponed—and there was no evidence that it would be rescheduled."1
The FDA released a statement that recommendations to manufacturers for updated vaccines will be available for the 2025-2026 influenza season; however, it was not disclosed when this would happen. Although it is possible for the FDA to select the flu vaccines without consulting the panel, this would be considered unprecedented in recent history.1,4
“I assume that will be without the advice of the expert independent advisory committee,” Offit continued. “I don’t know what this means, who made the decision, or why they made the decision. We were told nothing about it.”1
Prior to the cancellation of the annual flu vaccine meeting, the CDC was forced to cancel their “Wild to Mild” influenza vaccine campaign following changes to leadership at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The agency’s secretary, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., cited doubts about the vaccine’s efficacy, claiming it does not prevent or lessen deaths and hospitalizations. The decision has raised concerns among health care leaders, as rising vaccine hesitancy could be further exacerbated by the dissolution of public health education efforts.2
The “Wild to Mild” campaign was started by the CDC in the fall of 2023 following high rates of flu-associated deaths in unvaccinated children. The campaign’s message was focused on a series of graphics juxtaposing images of wild animals with their cute or domesticated counterparts, showing how the vaccine does not prevent the flu; rather, it can make infections go from “wild” to “mild.” The CDC reported that the initiative “was well received across parents and pregnant people, as it challenged the belief that flu vaccine is meant to prevent flu and reset expectations around flu vaccine,” according to an article by FiercePharma.2,4
Due to its success, the campaign was relaunched in the fall of 2024 and specifically targeted pregnant individuals and parents of young children, 2 groups with a higher risk of flu-associated hospitalizations and deaths. However, the campaign was canceled as of 2025 as part of Kennedy’s efforts to overhaul the HHS.2
According to reporting, the secretary has previously claimed that “there is zero evidence that the flu shot prevents any hospitalizations or any deaths” and that the vaccine makes individuals “6 times more likely” to transmit the virus. However, there is no evidence to substantiate these claims, and studies show the flu vaccine is effective against morbidity and mortality in all age and risk groups, particularly in young children and older adults.2,5
As of the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report ending the week of February 22, 2025, there have been a total of 98 influenza-associated pediatric deaths, and the agency estimates there have been at least 21,000 total deaths overall this season. In the same report, the agency also disclosed a significant rise in pediatric cases of influenza-associated encephalopathy, contributing to growing concerns about the potential long-term consequences of severe flu infection. Continued case tracking and accurate vaccine education are crucial to reducing the harm caused by severe flu infection.6
