CDC Panel Votes to Scale Back Newborn Hepatitis B Vaccine Recommendation

A CDC advisory panel voted today to roll back the long-standing recommendation that all U.S. infants receive the hepatitis B vaccine within 24 hours of birth.

Under the new guidance, mothers who test negative for hepatitis B can consult with healthcare providers to decide whether their newborn should receive the birth dose. The change follows a day of heated debate among panel members and objections from public health experts who urged maintaining the universal recommendation for the vaccine that protects against an incurable liver infection.

The panel now includes appointees selected by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., several of whom have previously expressed skepticism about vaccines.

Current Vaccination Schedule

The hepatitis B vaccine is administered as a three-dose series. The first dose is typically given within 24 hours of birth, the second at 1 to 2 months, and the third between 6 and 18 months of age.

The Debate

Panel members were divided on the issue. Some expressed concerns about vaccinating infants during the neonatal period, while others said no data supported delaying the birth dose.

Dr. Jason Goldman, president of the American College of Physicians, criticized the vote during deliberations, calling it "an unnecessary solution looking to find a problem to solve" that would "only endanger children."

The recommendation now goes to Acting CDC Director Jim O'Neill, a former investment executive without medical training, who will decide whether to formally adopt the panel's guidance.