U.S. Vaccine Panel Limits Universal Hepatitis B Shot for Newborns

A key U.S. vaccine advisory committee has voted to end the universal recommendation that all newborns receive a hepatitis B vaccine at birth. The decision, made on Friday, marks a significant shift in a policy that has been in place since 1991. The committee now advises the birth-dose vaccine only for infants whose mothers test positive for the hepatitis B virus. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has publicly supported this change. The previous universal policy aimed to protect all children from hepatitis B infection. This virus can cause serious liver disease, including cancer, later in life. Public health experts who oppose the change argue it will reverse decades of progress. They warn that restricting the birth dose could lead to increased infections, as some maternal cases go undetected.