US Vaccine Panel Ends Universal Hepatitis B Recommendation for Newborns
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A key U.S. health panel has voted to no longer recommend the hepatitis B vaccine for all newborn infants. The decision changes a decades-old policy of universal vaccination at birth.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) made the change. This panel advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on vaccine schedules. The new guidance now recommends the vaccine only for infants born to mothers with an unknown or positive hepatitis B status.
Former President Donald Trump called the decision "very good" in a public statement. He also said he has directed the Department of Health and Human Services to examine further potential changes to childhood vaccination schedules.
Hepatitis B is a virus that attacks the liver. It can cause lifelong infection and serious health problems. The CDC states that the vaccine is safe and highly effective. The previous universal policy aimed to protect infants from mothers whose infection status was not known at delivery.