A federal committee that advises scientists, health agencies, and Congress on autism issues has canceled its first public meeting since new members were appointed earlier this year, according to a spokesperson.
No reason was provided. “The IACC will not meet later this month. Further information will be shared as available,” said Andrew Nixon, spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services, referring to the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee.
The news, first reported by Reuters, comes days after scientists set up an independent version of the federal panel in response to health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s move to stack the body with members who align with his debunked view that links autism and vaccines. Traditionally, the committee was made up of researchers with mainstream scientific views and autistic self-advocates.
The federal group was slated to meet on March 19 for the first time in more than a year. It is unclear when it will meet next, though one of its members suggested on social media that the group would meet in April.
The independent group, which had planned to meet on the same day, will still gather on March 19, said Helen Tager-Flusberg, a member of the new group and director of the Center for Autism Research Excellence at Boston University.
