CDC Panel Delays Vote on New Infant Hepatitis B Vaccine Guidelines

A key U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advisory panel has postponed a scheduled vote. The vote concerns proposed updates to the nation's infant hepatitis B vaccination policy. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) delayed its decision until Friday. Committee members requested more time to review the precise language of the proposed changes. The delay followed a lengthy and sometimes intense discussion. The panel aims to ensure clarity before altering the longstanding vaccination guidelines. The CDC director must approve the committee's final recommendation. This would then set the official U.S. policy for administering the hepatitis B vaccine to newborns.