On December 16th, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory panel signed off on the decision to stop recommending the hepatitis B vaccine to newborns within the first 24 hours of birth. The CDC is now recommending the hepatitis B vaccine to newborns within the first 24 hours of birth only if the mother tests positive for hepatitis B or if the status is unknown. According to NBC, the CDC now recommends waiting until at least two months after birth to administer the vaccine if the mother isn’t positive for hepatitis B.
Previously, it was recommended that the hepatitis B vaccine would be administered to newborns within the first 24 hours of birth regardless of the mothers hepatitis B status. Hepatitis B is a virus that attacks the liver, and it can be either acute or chronic. If chronic, the virus can cause liver damage, cancer, or liver failure. The virus is spread through bodily fluids and from mother to baby. According to the World Health Organization, people who are most at risk of the virus include infants, children, and people who have contact with other body fluids. The vaccine is typically given in three doses within the first year of birth.
The CDC introduced the new policy, because vaccines raise many questions when it comes to effectiveness and how it may affect childhood development. According to NPR, members on the advisory panel are questioning if the hepatitis B vaccine is safe for newborns because they suggest that it could be linked to autoimmune diseases and other health problems. These claims are not supported by any evidence at this time, according to NPR.
According to NPR, the Advisory Committee on Immunizations Practice had a vote of 8-3, favoring the new vaccine policy. Also according to NPR, there was a second vote from the CDC panel with a vote 6-4, favoring the new vaccine policy. The committee is receiving backlash from public health experts regarding the new policy. Health experts worry that decades of data and declines in infection will be undone with this new policy. “Ending the recommendation for newborns makes it more likely the number of cases will begin to increase again. This makes America sicker. Acting CDC Director O’Neill should not sign these new recommendations and instead retain the current, evidence-based approach,” said Senator Bill Cassidy, a liver doctor, in a statement to NBC.
The people currently a part of the Advisory Committee on Immunizations Practice were hand picked by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. According to NBC, Kennedy Jr. had fired some members in the committee to replace them with members who are suspicious about vaccines. Also according to NBC, panel members had concerns regarding the vaccine and if it would alter brain and immune development. Retsef Levi, a voting member on the panel, said in an interview with NPR, “carefully think about whether they (parents) want to take the risk of giving another vaccine to their child.” Many other health experts urge parents to discuss with their pediatrician when trying to make a decision to give their newborn the hepatitis B vaccine despite the CDC’s new recommendation.
