Anti-vaccine sentiment may derail vaccines already awaiting FDA approval, experts fear

Concern is growing among public health experts that anti-vaccine sentiment within federal and state governments may derail emerging and cutting-edge vaccines that are now awaiting regulatory approval in the United States – essentially leaving those vaccines in limbo.

Just last week, the US Food and Drug Administration delayed a decision on full approval of Novavax’s Covid-19 vaccine even though it was on track to be cleared, leaving many public health experts wondering why. A person familiar with the situation told CNN that the FDA is seeking more data on the vaccine, which has been available under emergency use authorization since 2022.

It was the first Covid-19 vaccine to come up for FDA action since the second Trump administration took office in January.