On Friday, a federal advisory group voted to halt universal recommendations for hepatitis B vaccinations in newborns. This decision will be forwarded to the director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for final approval.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), which advises the CDC, made this choice with an 8-3 vote. Instead of advocating for vaccination of all newborns, they now suggest vaccinating only those born to mothers who test positive for the virus. The advisory mentions that “women whose hepatitis B status is negative or unknown should discuss vaccination with their physician.”
ACIP member Professor Retsev Levy remarked in a video shared by the CDC, “For babies born to mothers who test negative for hepatitis B, the risk of infection early in life—perhaps even throughout childhood—is so low that it’s tough to quantify. Maybe it’s one in a million.” He emphasized the need for parents to consult with their doctors regarding the decision to expose their child to a vaccine that may carry some slight risks, despite the low probability of infection. “We’re discussing very young babies, just a few months old and not fully developed,” he added.
This update occurs within the context of the Trump administration’s Make America Healthy (MAHA) movement, which seeks to challenge established health norms.
For instance, the committee revised its guidelines on coronavirus vaccinations in September, leaving the choice to individuals. In that same timeframe, Florida’s Department of Public Health Secretary Joseph Ladapo announced plans to work with the DeSantis administration to eliminate vaccination mandates in Florida.
Ladapo questioned his authority, asking, “Who am I as a government official or as a person telling others what to put in their bodies? I don’t have that right.”
