• The CDC panel has voted to delay the hepatitis B vaccine for many newborns, changing a long-standing practice.
• This controversial decision could lead to increased rates of hepatitis B infections among children.
• The new guidance suggests vaccination should only be prioritized for infants born to hepatitis B-positive mothers.
• Public health experts express concerns that this change could undermine vaccine confidence among parents.
• Opponents argue that the hepatitis B vaccine has a proven safety record and prevents severe liver diseases.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has voted to alter the long-standing recommendation regarding hepatitis B vaccinations for newborns. Specifically, the panel voted 8-3 to delay the first dose of the hepatitis B vaccine from within 24 hours of birth to a timeline for when the child is 2 months old, primarily for infants born to mothers who test negative for the virus. This marks a significant shift, as the U.S. has recommended this vaccination at birth since 1991, a move credited with preventing an estimated 90,000 deaths attributable to the virus, according to CBS News and BBC.

Public health experts have raised alarms about the consequences of this change, emphasizing that delaying the vaccine increases the risk of infants developing chronic infections that can lead to liver disease, liver cancer, and premature death. For instance, if children contract hepatitis B within their first year of life, they have a 90% chance of developing chronic hepatitis B, which can severely impact their health over the years. These views were echoed by Dr. Cody Meissner, a member of the ACIP, who stated that the panel's decision to change the wording and timing of vaccinations would lead to more children infected with hepatitis B, as per statements reported by Reuters and SFGate.

The decision to re-evaluate the hepatitis B vaccination protocol comes under the leadership of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who reshaped the ACIP by appointing members that support a more skeptical view on vaccines. Since the overhaul, recommendations have shifted towards a model where the decision to vaccinate appears to rely heavily on parental choice. This raises concerns about reducing the public health approach that historically viewed vaccinations as crucial for preventing the spread of diseases, according to LATimes, BBC, and SFGate.

Opponents of the new guidelines argue they undermine decades of accepted medical and scientific consensus regarding the vaccine's effectiveness and safety. The hepatitis B vaccine has a well-documented safety history, and delaying it could result in more infections and complications among vulnerable populations, especially newborns, who are at risk of contracting the virus during childbirth if their mothers are infected. The ACIP's current stance has faced intense scrutiny from a broad coalition of healthcare professionals who argue that the health implications could be severe and lead to a decline in overall vaccine uptake, as highlighted by experts from the American Academy of Pediatrics in various reports including Reuters and CBS News.