CDC Panel Recommends Delaying Hepatitis B Vaccine for Some Newborns

A key advisory panel for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has voted to update its vaccine guidelines. The panel now recommends delaying the first dose of the Hepatitis B vaccine for some infants. Under the new recommendation, babies born to mothers who test negative for the Hepatitis B virus would receive their first dose at two months old. The current guideline calls for this vaccine to be given within 24 hours of birth. The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices made the vote. The CDC director must still approve the change before it becomes official policy. Hepatitis B is a virus that attacks the liver. The birth-dose vaccine has been highly effective for decades at preventing mother-to-child transmission. The proposed change reflects the very low current rate of Hepatitis B infection among pregnant people in the United States. Dr. Yvonne Maldonado, an infectious disease expert at Stanford Healthcare, discussed the implications of the potential policy shift with CBS News. She noted that the change would simplify the birth process for many families while maintaining strong protection for infants.