Pediatricians Defy CDC Panel on Hepatitis B Birth Dose Recommendation Change
- Dec 9
- 2 min read
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) vaccine advisory panel, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), voted 8-3 last Friday to cease recommending the hepatitis B (HBV) vaccine within 24 hours of birth for all newborns. Instead of a universal policy, the panel recommended delaying the initial dose until a child is 2 months old for children whose mothers test negative for the virus, promoting “individual-based decision-making” in consultation with a healthcare provider.
This decision marks a significant Hepatitis B birth dose recommendation change, overturning a standard practice recommended since 1991. The shift followed a contentious two-day meeting involving ACIP members, who were all appointed by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a known vaccine critic. During the meeting, committee member Retsef Levi, a mathematician with no medical training, argued against the universal dose, falsely claiming experts had "never tested (the vaccines) appropriately".
The vote immediately sparked widespread condemnation from the medical community, with many experts and organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), rejecting the new guidance. Dr. Ulrich von Andrian, President of the American Association of Immunologists, stated he was "extremely disappointed" and warned that delaying the vaccine "would mark a dangerous departure from decades of achievement in preventing hepatitis B infection".
Medical professionals emphasized that the universal birth dose serves as a crucial "safety net" because approximately 16% of expecting mothers may not be tested for HBV, and previous attempts to target only high-risk babies failed to lower infection rates. Since the universal recommendation began, research shows HBV infections among infants and children have dropped 99%. Dr. Cody Meissner, a former ACIP board member, warned that changing the wording would be "doing harm," and that without the birth dose, the number of cases will likely increase again.
In defiance of the ACIP, hospitals, regional health alliances (including the West Coast Health Alliance), and state health departments, such as Maryland's and Connecticut's, have announced they will continue to recommend the vaccine at birth, adhering instead to AAP guidance. Health officials stressed that the vaccine is safe, exceptionally effective, and that parents must still provide informed consent for their children to receive it. The change is not expected to immediately affect insurance coverage, as private insurers stated they would continue to cover the birth dose.
Following the vote, President Donald Trump praised the committee's decision and issued a Presidential Memorandum directing top health officials to review U.S. childhood vaccine schedules against those of other developed countries. The ACIP’s recommendation now awaits approval from acting CDC Director Jim O’Neill.
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Keywords: Hepatitis B birth dose recommendation change
Hepatitis B birth dose recommendation change
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