CDC Panel Votes to Limit Hepatitis B Vaccine Recommendations

The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, known as ACIP, voted 8-3 to change long-standing recommendations on the hepatitis B vaccine, now suggesting that infants born to mothers who test negative for the virus can receive the vaccine at two months instead of within 24 hours after birth.

This decision has raised significant concerns among health professionals, including members of the American Academy of Pediatrics, who argue that it increases the risk of hepatitis B infections in young children.

Senator Bill Cassidy, a physician and Republican from Louisiana, condemned the change as a mistake, emphasizing that the birth dose has contributed to a dramatic drop in infections among newborns. Meanwhile, President Trump endorsed the decision as a 'very good decision,' claiming that the majority of newborns are at no risk of hepatitis B, despite medical experts warning of the potential consequences of this shift.

Critics, including Dr. Sandra Adamson Fryhofer of the American Medical Association, labeled the decision as reckless, arguing it undermines decades of public trust in a proven vaccine. The implications of this vote extend beyond public health policy, as changes in vaccine recommendations can affect insurance coverage and access for families, particularly those with lower incomes.

The acting CDC Director Jim O'Neill will now consider whether to endorse this recommendation, which could lead to significant changes in childhood vaccination schedules across the United States, marking a notable shift under the leadership of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F.

Kennedy Jr.