The FDA approved the new mFlusiva flu vaccine, but the CDC isn’t recommending it. Here’s why

The Food and Drug Administration recently approved a new flu vaccine called mFlusiva, which showed good results in older adults. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the agency responsible for recommending how to use the vaccine, has not made any recommendation regarding it. This departure from their usual practice marks a significant shift in the agency's vaccine review-and-recommendation process, which has been disrupted in the past year.

This situation is a result of several factors, including efforts by anti-vaccine officials in the Trump administration to reduce recommended shots and the legal challenges opposing Kennedy's changes. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), which previously guided the CDC's vaccine recommendations, was disbanded by Kennedy and replaced with a panel containing several anti-vaccine voices.

This decision led to a lawsuit from the American Academy of Pediatrics and other medical groups, prompting a federal judge to halt Kennedy's actions and suspend his attempt to reduce the number of vaccines recommended for children.

While doctors' groups and health insurance trade associations have largely followed the recommendations of medical societies, the CDC's official guidance remains unchanged. This has created confusion about which vaccines are recommended for public use this fall, with mFlusiva being one of the vaccines affected. The medical societies still recommend mFlusiva as an option, but the CDC has not endorsed it due to legal uncertainties and inquiries.