CDC Panel to Vote on Hepatitis B Vaccine for Newborns

A key advisory panel to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will vote this week on hepatitis B vaccination for newborns. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) meets Thursday and Friday. The committee will review the current childhood vaccine schedule. A central topic is the recommendation for the hepatitis B vaccine dose given at birth. Hepatitis B is a viral infection that attacks the liver. It can cause both acute and chronic disease. The birth dose is considered crucial for preventing transmission from an infected mother to her child. The ACIP advises the CDC on vaccine use. The CDC typically adopts the committee's recommendations, which then guide doctors and public health policy across the United States.