FDA's Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) convenes virtually and in open session — , 9 a.m.–1 p.m. ET — to discuss and recommend strain selection for the 2027 Southern Hemisphere influenza vaccine, the twice-yearly cycle that sets the biological target for the season's shots.

Dates and format

  • Date: 1 October 2026, 9 a.m.–1 p.m. ET, open session
  • Format: fully virtual, open to the public, free live webcast via CBER
  • Docket: FDA-2026-N-10232; written/electronic comments due by 29 September 2026
  • Oral presentation requests due by 12 p.m. ET, 22 September 2026; hearing runs roughly 11:05 a.m.–12:05 p.m. ET
  • Organizer: FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee

What it covers

VRBPAC meets ahead of each Southern Hemisphere and Northern Hemisphere influenza season to review surveillance and candidate-virus data and recommend which strains manufacturers should target in that season's vaccine. This sitting covers the 2027 Southern Hemisphere season. The Committee's recommendation feeds directly into which strains licensed manufacturers formulate against, making the open session a direct read on the evidence FDA is weighing before that decision is made.

Who should attend

Regulatory and clinical leads on vaccine development and surveillance programs, anyone tracking FDA's strain-selection evidence base ahead of formulation decisions, and members of the public who want to submit written comment or request time during the open public hearing segment. The meeting is free and virtual, so watching requires no travel and no fee.

The same week, FDA and MDIC hold a hybrid public meeting on device regulatory science priorities, and the full events directory lists everything we have verified.

Frequently asked questions

When is the FDA VRBPAC influenza strain-selection meeting?

1 October 2026, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time, held virtually via online teleconferencing/video conferencing and open to the public.

What is the committee deciding?

Strain selection for influenza virus vaccines for the 2027 Southern Hemisphere influenza season — the Committee convenes in open session to discuss the evidence and provide recommendations to FDA.

How do I watch or comment?

FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research plans a free live webcast. Written or electronic comments are due by 29 September 2026 under docket FDA-2026-N-10232; requests to give a formal oral presentation during the meeting's public hearing session are due by 12 p.m. ET on 22 September 2026.

Is there a fee to attend?

No. The meeting is a free public webcast, consistent with FDA advisory committee meetings generally.

Sources & further reading

  1. FDA. Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee October 1, 2026 Meeting Announcement. fda.gov
  2. Federal Register / FDA. Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting; Establishment of a Public Docket; Request for Comments — 2027 Southern Hemisphere Influenza Virus Vaccines, 09/09/2026. federalregister.gov

Event details are published by the organizer and can change. This listing was verified via WebSearch corroboration of FDA's own meeting-announcement page and the Federal Register notice rather than a direct fetch, because this session's network egress could not reach fda.gov or federalregister.gov directly — confirm dates and access with FDA before making plans. Last verified 15 September 2026.