In a move that overturned more than three decades of guidance, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has officially shifted its recommendation on the hepatitis B vaccine for newborns.
New Guidance for Newborns
The CDC now advises that women who test negative for hepatitis B should talk with their health care providers about whether their babies should receive their first vaccine dose within 24 hours of birth. The agency’s advisory committee, reconstituted by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. after he dismissed the previous panel, voted for the change earlier this month. Acting CDC Director Jim O’Neill accepted the recommendation on Tuesday, making it the agency’s policy. O’Neill said, “We are restoring the balance of informed consent to parents whose newborns face little risk of contracting hepatitis B.”
What the Change Means
The new policy recommends waiting until at least two months of age for babies’ first hepatitis B shots if they do not receive the birth dose. However, it still recommends that babies born to mothers who test positive for hepatitis B or whose infection statuses are unknown receive the vaccine within the first day of life. The panel also suggested a secondary recommendation that parents consult with health care providers about testing children for hepatitis B antibodies before deciding on second doses. The hepatitis B vaccine is typically given as a three‑dose series.
A Long‑Standing Practice Now Scrutinized
The CDC had recommended the birth dose of the vaccine since 1991. Many public health experts criticized the advisory committee’s decision. After the meeting, a chorus of doctors, political leaders, and health officials called on O’Neill to ignore the suggested change and maintain the CDC’s recommendation, but no action was taken. The advisory committee’s discussion was described as rife with misinformation and cherry‑picked data, and it ignored decades of evidence that hepatitis B vaccines are safe and effective when given shortly after birth.
Reactions from the Medical Community
Sen. Bill Cassidy, R‑La., a liver disease doctor, said on X earlier this month that ending the recommendation for newborns “makes it more likely the number of cases will begin to increase again. This makes America sicker.” Cassidy is one of many medical professionals who publicly asked O’Neill not to adopt the advisory panel’s recommendations. Pediatricians are expected to keep recommending that parents vaccinate their newborns for hepatitis B. The Department of Health and Human Services said the new recommendations will not affect insurance coverage of the shots. The vaccine will also continue to be offered to newborns through the Vaccines for Children Program, which provides free shots for uninsured or underinsured kids.
Part of a Broader Shift in CDC Guidance
The hepatitis B decision is the latest in a series of CDC policy changes that some experts say have not been backed by science. After Kennedy gutted the long‑standing membership of the CDC’s vaccine panel in June and replaced it with a group that has largely expressed skepticism of vaccines, O’Neill has made several controversial moves. Last month the CDC altered a webpage that had once unequivocally said vaccines do not cause autism, claiming instead that studies have not ruled out a link. In October, O’Neill called on vaccine manufacturers to develop separate shots for measles, mumps, and rubella, and in September the CDC updated its guidance to tell pregnant women to consider avoiding acetaminophen because of a possible connection to autism in children.
Key Takeaways
- The CDC now recommends consulting a health care provider for newborns of hepatitis‑B‑negative mothers before administering the first vaccine dose.
- Babies of hepatitis‑B‑positive or unknown‑status mothers must still receive the vaccine within 24 hours of birth.
- The change follows a vote by an advisory committee reconstituted by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and was accepted by Acting Director Jim O’Neill.
The shift has drawn sharp criticism from public health experts, who warn that delaying the birth dose could lead to a resurgence of hepatitis B infections and potentially more deaths from liver disease or cancer.
