CDC advisors vote to abandon universal hepatitis B vaccination for newborns

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices appointed by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has voted to abandon universal hepatitis B vaccination for newborns.

According to the CDC, the United States is the only country that has ever moved from giving all babies a dose of the hepatitis B vaccine at birth to delaying the shot.

Eight members voted yes, three voted no for the first vote. Committee members Dr. Catherine Stein, Dr. Retsef Levi, Dr. Vicky Pebsworth, Dr. Robert Malone, Dr. Hillary Blackburn, Dr. James Pagano, Dr. Evelyn Griffin and Dr. Kirk Milhoan voted yes. Dr. Cody Meissner, Dr. Joseph Hibbeln and Dr. Raymond Pollak voted no.

The voting language was:

For infants born to HBsAg-negative women: ACIP recommends individual-based decision-making, in consultation with a health care provider, for parents deciding when or if to give the HBV vaccine, including the birth dose. (1) Parents and health care providers should consider vaccine benefits, vaccine risks, and infection risks. For those not receiving the HBV birth dose, it is suggested that the initial dose is administered no earlier than 2 months of age. Y/N

(1) Parents and health care providers should also consider whether there are risks, for example, such as a household member is HBsAg-positive or when there is frequent contact with persons who have emigrated from areas where Hepatitis B is common.

The language calls for individual-based decision-making, also known as shared clinical decision-making, which generally means consultation with a doctor or other health care provider and possibly a prescription before vaccination. This requirement can make it more complicated for patients to get vaccines.

The second part of the vote means that for those not receiving a dose at birth, there would be a delay for two months or longer, leaving newborns and children vulnerable to hepatitis B infection.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention makes the final recommendation, but typically aligns with the advisory panel’s vote. Deputy Health and Human Services Secretary Jim O’Neill is serving as acting CDC director since Director Dr. Susan Monarez was ousted from the role.