Changes to Hepatitis B Vaccine Recommendations

A federal vaccine advisory committee voted on Friday to end the longstanding recommendation that all U.S. babies get the hepatitis B vaccine on the day they’re born.

A loud chorus of medical and public health leaders decried the actions of the panel, whose current members were all appointed by U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — a leading anti-vaccine activist before this year becoming the nation’s top health official.

“This is the group that can’t shoot straight,” said Dr. William Schaffner, a Vanderbilt University vaccine expert who for decades has been involved with ACIP and its workgroups.

Related

For decades, the government has advised that all babies be vaccinated against the liver infection right after birth. The shots are widely considered to be a public health success for preventing thousands of illnesses.

What is Hepatitis B?

Hepatitis B is a serious liver infection that, for most people, lasts less than six months. But for some, especially infants and children, it can become a long-lasting problem that can lead to liver failure, liver cancer and scarring called cirrhosis.

In adults, the virus is spread through sex or through sharing needles during injection drug use. But it can also be passed from an infected mother to a baby.

History of Hepatitis B Vaccine Recommendations

In 1991, the committee recommended an initial dose of hepatitis B vaccine at birth. Experts say quick immunization is crucial to prevent infection from taking root. And, indeed, cases in children have plummeted.

But Kennedy’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices decided to recommend the birth dose only for babies whose mothers test positive, and in cases where the mom wasn’t tested.

For other babies, it will be up to the parents and their doctors to decide if a birth dose is appropriate. The committee voted to suggest that when a family decides not to get a birth dose, then the vaccination series should begin when the child is 2 months old.

Reactions to the New Recommendations

The vote passed 8-3.

“We are doing harm by changing this wording, and I vote no,” said committee member Dr. Cody Meissner.

The acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Jim O’Neill, is expected to decide later whether to accept the committee’s recommendation.

Dr. Peter Hotez of the Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development in Houston declined to present before the group “because ACIP appears to have shifted its mission away from science and evidence-based medicine,” he said in an email to The Associated Press.

Concerns About the Committee’s Decision

Some observers criticized the meeting, noting recent changes in how they are conducted. CDC scientists no longer present vaccine safety and effectiveness data to the committee. Instead, people who have been prominent voices in anti-vaccine circles were given those slots.

The committee “is no longer a legitimate scientific body,” said Elizabeth Jacobs, a member of Defend Public Health, an advocacy group of researchers and others that has opposed Trump administration health policies.

In a statement, she described the meeting this week as “an epidemiological crime scene” — a slaughter of how disease control professionals usually examine and act on evidence.

Conclusion

The decision to change the hepatitis B vaccine recommendations has sparked controversy and concern among medical and public health professionals. While the committee’s vote has passed, the final decision lies with the acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

It remains to be seen how this change will affect the health and well-being of newborns and the general public.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is hepatitis B?

A: Hepatitis B is a serious liver infection that can cause liver failure, liver cancer, and scarring called cirrhosis.

Q: Why was the hepatitis B vaccine recommended at birth?

A: The vaccine was recommended at birth to prevent infection from taking root and to protect newborns from the virus, which can be passed from an infected mother to a baby.

Q: What are the new recommendations for the hepatitis B vaccine?

A: The new recommendations suggest that the birth dose should only be given to babies whose mothers test positive, and in cases where the mom wasn’t tested. For other babies, the vaccination series should begin when the child is 2 months old.

Q: What are the concerns about the committee’s decision?

A: Some observers are concerned that the committee’s decision is not based on scientific evidence and that it may put newborns and the general public at risk of infection.