A federal vaccine advisory panel reshaped earlier this year by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is set to vote today on whether to revise the decades-old recommendation that all newborns receive a hepatitis B vaccine within 24 hours of birth. The outcome could alter one of the most widely implemented early-life immunization practices in the United States.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP, postponed the decision in September after several newly appointed members questioned whether the benefits of the current schedule outweighed perceived safety concerns. It remains unclear whether the panel will move toward delaying the shot or removing the universal birth-dose recommendation altogether.
Public health experts warn that any shift could have sweeping consequences. Hepatitis B can be transmitted from mother to baby during childbirth and can lead to lifelong liver disease. The virus has no cure, and the birth-dose recommendation has been credited with a 99% drop in childhood infections since its adoption in 1991. A 2024 CDC study found that the current schedule has prevented more than 6 million infections and nearly 1 million related hospitalizations.
The pending vote comes as ACIP meets in Atlanta for a two-day session — its first major gathering since Kennedy removed many long-time members and appointed 12 new advisers, some with histories of skepticism toward childhood immunizations. During the September discussion, some questioned the necessity of the immediate newborn dose.
Major medical organizations continue to support the existing recommendation. The American Academy of Pediatrics maintains that the universal birth dose remains essential because it prevents serious illness and has demonstrated a strong safety record over more than three decades. A new review published Tuesday, covering 400 studies across 40 years, found no evidence that delaying the shot improves safety or effectiveness and did not identify short- or long-term severe adverse outcomes.
While ACIP’s decisions are not legally binding, its guidance heavily influences state vaccination requirements and determines whether insurers and federal programs cover vaccines at no cost for children. Manufacturers Merck and GSK, which produce the hepatitis B vaccines, urged caution earlier this year, warning that altering the recommendation could lead to a resurgence of preventable disease.
Source: CNBC