Hepatitis B virus. Image produced from an image taken with transmission electron microscopy. (Photo by: BSIP/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
ATLANTA - A federal vaccine advisory panel met in Atlanta at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week to reconsider whether every newborn should receive the hepatitis B vaccine immediately after birth, according to The Associated Press.
For more than three decades, the long-standing national guidance has called for a birth-dose vaccination because of the virus’s ability to cause chronic illness and liver damage in infants. A vote was expected Thursday but was postponed when members expressed uncertainty about the language they would be approving.
What they're saying:
Several members raised concerns about parental opposition to the current recommendation and suggested that guidance should shift toward risk-based vaccination.
Others countered that there has been no credible evidence showing harm associated with the birth dose and argued that removing it could reverse decades of progress in reducing infections among children.
Physicians representing national medical groups criticized the panel’s direction, saying decisions appeared influenced by political pressure rather than scientific research.
What we don't know:
Committee members have not agreed on whether newborns of mothers who test negative for hepatitis B should still automatically receive the vaccine. There is also no clarity on how acting CDC leadership may respond if the group changes guidance, as a permanent CDC director has not yet been appointed. Long-term scientific evidence comparing universal vaccination with selective vaccination also remains limited.
What's next:
The panel is scheduled to revisit the issue and hold a final vote Friday on revised language, including whether vaccination should begin at two months for infants who do not receive a birth dose. Whatever recommendation is adopted will be sent to the CDC’s acting director for approval, a move that would determine whether hospitals nationwide begin altering their newborn vaccination practices. The outcome is expected to draw continued scrutiny from medical associations, lawmakers and advocates on both sides of the debate.