An expert panel that provides guidance to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding vaccination policies has announced that its meeting next week has been postponed.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) was originally scheduled to convene in Atlanta from February 26 to 28—marking its first assembly since Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took office as Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Andrew Nixon, the director of communications for HHS, confirmed the postponement on Thursday, with the ACIP meetings website reflecting this change as well. However, Nixon did not provide further details regarding a potential new date for the meeting. Generally, ACIP convenes three times a year, typically in February, June, and October.

Kennedy, during his confirmation process, had expressed criticism of ACIP, which is currently one of the federal advisory committees under review following an executive order from President Donald Trump issued on Wednesday.

In his address to HHS employees during a welcoming event this week, Kennedy also promised to scrutinize the childhood vaccination schedule, which includes vaccines against measles, polio, and other severe illnesses.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices plays a crucial role in advising the CDC director on the implementation of FDA-approved vaccines, including recommendations on which populations should receive vaccinations and when. Although their recommendations are not obligatory, agency directors typically adhere to them.

ACIP comprises various professionals, including academics, a chief medical officer from a community health center, a senior state public health official, and a family medicine practice owner. One anonymous committee member indicated that they learned about the meeting’s postponement via news sources.

According to the agenda for the now-rescheduled meeting, which was still accessible online as of Thursday afternoon, discussions were to cover topics such as a new meningitis vaccine, a vaccine for chikungunya—a mosquito-borne illness—and vaccines for RSV and influenza.

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