CDC Panel to Vote on Ending Universal Hepatitis B Vaccine for Newborns

A key committee at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will vote Friday on a major policy change. The vote will decide whether to stop recommending the hepatitis B vaccine for all newborn babies. Currently, medical guidelines call for every newborn to receive the first dose of the hepatitis B vaccine within 24 hours of birth. The virus can cause serious, lifelong liver disease. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) is considering a more targeted approach. This would involve vaccinating only infants born to mothers who test positive for hepatitis B or whose status is unknown. The potential shift follows years of successful infant vaccination, which has dramatically reduced hepatitis B cases in the U.S. The panel's final recommendation will go to the CDC director for official approval.