Cassidy Critiques CDC on Hepatitis B Vaccine Guidance

On Friday, Senator Bill Cassidy from Louisiana expressed his concern to the acting director of the CDC regarding a proposal to change the recommended hepatitis B vaccination schedule for newborns. He described the suggested alterations as “a mistake.”

This statement came after the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted to advise that newborns who haven’t received the birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine should wait until they are two months old to get their first dose. Cassidy emphasized that parents should make an “individualized decision” in consultation with their doctors.

“As a liver doctor with decades of experience treating patients with hepatitis B, I believe altering the vaccine schedule is a mistake,” Cassidy posted on X. He insisted that the hepatitis B vaccine is both safe and effective, noting that while getting the birth dose is recommended, it isn’t mandatory.

Cassidy recalled a time when there were around 20,000 newborns infected with hepatitis B each year before the birth dose was recommended. Now, that number has dropped to fewer than 20. He cautioned that moving away from the birth dose recommendation could lead to an increase in cases, which he views as troubling. “This change would make America less secure. Acting CDC Director O’Neill should not endorse these new recommendations and should stick to the current, evidence-based strategy,” he argued.

On another note, Cassidy criticized a lawyer named Aaron Siri, who has been working for Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s presidential campaign. He pointed out that Siri is a trial lawyer with a background in suing vaccine manufacturers, questioning his qualifications to make statements about childhood vaccines. Cassidy claimed that ACIP has lost the public’s trust and isn’t effectively protecting children.

Earlier, in August, he had also condemned the Department of Health’s decision to reduce funding for mRNA vaccine development, claiming it conflicted with the efforts to promote national health advocated by former President Donald Trump.

As of now, Cassidy’s office and the CDC have not responded to requests for further comment.