CDC Panel Delays Hepatitis B Shot for Most Babies After Voting Skeptically on Vaccines

A federal panel of vaccine advisers, selected by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a known vaccine skeptic, voted on Friday to suggest changing the long-standing recommendation that all newborns in the United States receive the hepatitis B vaccine. This move represents the latest challenge to childhood immunization policies under the Trump administration.

Since 1991, federal guidance has advised that infants receive their first hepatitis B dose on the day of birth, a second dose at one to two months, and a third dose between six and 15 months. Medical and public health experts emphasize that the initial dose is effective at preventing liver infections and reducing the risk of liver cancer in newborns.

The newly approved guidance from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends administering the first dose only to babies born to mothers infected with hepatitis B, while postponing it for other infants.

Hepatitis B is a serious liver disease that can develop into chronic conditions such as liver cancer, cirrhosis, or liver failure, especially in children. Research indicates that around 90% of infants infected at birth develop chronic infections, and roughly 25% of these cases can result in death from long-term liver disease.

ACIP consists of 11 members, including several vaccine skeptics appointed by Kennedy after he replaced the previous panel this summer. The committee, which advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on vaccine policies, had originally planned to vote on the hepatitis B vaccine in September but postponed the decision to review additional data on potential risks. Decades of research confirm the vaccines safety and effectiveness.

Analysis by the Center for Disease Analysis Foundation estimates that delaying the first dose at birth could lead to 99,000 preventable hepatitis B infections. Currently, there is no cure for the infection.

Even as ACIPs decision serves only as a recommendation, public health officials warn it may create confusion and anxiety among parents deciding whether to vaccinate their newborns. The American Academy of Pediatrics has stated it will continue to support the original hepatitis B vaccine schedule despite the panels vote.

Author: Natalie Monroe