US expert panel decides to stop recommending hepatitis B vaccination for newborns

A panel of vaccine advisors in the United States has voted to stop recommending universal hepatitis B vaccinations for newborns immediately after birth. Since 1991, newborns in the US have routinely received the hepatitis B vaccine, which is estimated to have prevented around 90,000 deaths.

Earlier this year, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., known for his critical stance on vaccines, dismissed all members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and appointed new members with skeptical views on vaccination.

On Friday, the restructured committee endorsed an approach where vaccination decisions for newborns with mothers testing negative for hepatitis B would be made individually. The updated guidance also advises that infants who do not receive the vaccine at birth should get their first dose "no earlier than two months of age," a suggestion that faced opposition from some panel members.

The committee continues to support administering the birth dose to babies born to mothers who test positive for hepatitis B. In the final vote, eight members favored ending universal newborn vaccination, while three opposed the change.

The ACIP provides recommendations to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding vaccination schedules and eligibility. Previously, infants contracted hepatitis B less frequently due to early vaccination, but the new guidance allows for potential delays in administering the shot at birth.

Author: Riley Thompson