The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has officially abandoned its policy of universal hepatitis B vaccination for newborns, marking an abrupt end to 34 years of established medical guidance.
Acting CDC Director Jim O'Neill approved the controversial change on Tuesday, following a contentious vote by the agency's vaccine advisory committee earlier this month.
New Guidance Shifts Decision to Parents
Under the new recommendations, women who test negative for hepatitis B during pregnancy should now consult with healthcare providers about whether their newborns should receive the vaccine within 24 hours of birth.
The CDC now advises that infants who do not receive the birth dose should wait until at least 2 months old before getting their first hepatitis B vaccination.
Infants born to mothers who test positive for hepatitis B or whose infection status is unknown will still receive the vaccine within the first day of life.
Advisory Committee Overhaul Sparks Controversy
The recommendation was endorsed by the CDC's vaccine advisory committee, which was reconstituted by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. after he dismissed all previous committee members earlier this year.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted 8-3 to make the change, overturning a recommendation that had been in place since 1991.
This policy shift draws parallels to ongoing debates about vaccine requirements that have sparked concern among public health experts.
O'Neill stated that the change restores "the balance of informed consent for parents whose newborns face minimal risk of contracting hepatitis B".
Public Health Experts Voice Alarm
Following the advisory committee meeting, numerous doctors, political figures, and health officials urged O'Neill to disregard the committee's recommendations and uphold existing guidelines, but their pleas were unsuccessful.
The discussions within the advisory committee were marked by misinformation and selective data, disregarding extensive evidence supporting the safety and efficacy of administering the vaccine shortly after birth.
Public health experts warn that postponing the hepatitis B vaccine until infants are older could trigger a resurgence of infections, potentially resulting in increased rates of liver disease or cancer.
Pediatric cases of acute hepatitis B dramatically decreased by 99% from 1990 to 2019 after the CDC recommended a universal birth dose.
Global Impact and Insurance Coverage
The United States will now be an outlier, as the hepatitis B birth-dose vaccine is recommended in nearly 120 countries, according to World Health Organization data.
The virus can be transmitted from mother to child during childbirth, and not all expectant mothers are screened for it. There is currently no cure for hepatitis B.
The Department of Health and Human Services has indicated that the new guidelines will not affect insurance coverage for the vaccinations.
Pediatricians are expected to continue advising parents to vaccinate their newborns against hepatitis B, and the vaccine will remain available through the Vaccines for Children program, which provides no-cost vaccinations for uninsured or underinsured children.
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