A federal advisory committee voted Friday to scrap the decades-old rule that every newborn in the U.S. must receive the hepatitis B vaccine within 24 hours of birth.
The new guidance, backed by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., limits the immediate shot to babies born to mothers who test positive for the virus less than 1% of births.
For all other infants, the first dose can now wait until at least two months old, after discussion between parents and doctors.
Kennedy’s Rapid Overhaul
The decision is the latest in a string of sweeping changes since Kennedy took office in June:
- Replaced 17 independent panel members with his appointees
- Ended universal COVID-19 vaccine recommendations
- Slashed funding for mRNA research
The CDC is expected to adopt the vote as official policy, affecting insurance coverage and hospital protocols nationwide.
Doctors Sound the Alarm
Major medical groups immediately pushed back:
- American Academy of Pediatrics and American Medical Association vow to keep recommending the birth dose
- Since 1991, universal vaccination has cut childhood hepatitis B infections by 90%
Infectious disease experts warn delaying the shot leaves babies vulnerable to silent transmission from family members or caregivers who may unknowingly carry the virus.
Political Backlash
Even Republican Senator Bill Cassidy, a physician who once supported Kennedy, called the change “a mistake” based on his decades treating hepatitis B patients.
Vaccine-maker stocks dipped slightly on the news.
The World Health Organization still urges every newborn worldwide to get the shot as soon as possible.
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