ACIP Weakens Newborn Hepatitis B Vaccine Recommendation

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has moved away from its longstanding recommendation that all newborns receive the hepatitis B vaccine at birth. In an 8-3 vote, the panel endorsed “shared decision-making” for infants whose mothers test negative for hepatitis B, advising the first dose be given no earlier than two months. Critics warn this shift could increase future infections, liver disease, and deaths.

Hepatitis B is easily transmitted from mother to infant and can lead to chronic infection, cirrhosis, or liver cancer. Vaccination since 1991 has reduced infections by 99% in U.S. infants and young adults. Studies suggest even short delays in the birth dose could result in thousands of preventable cases.

The vote follows a reorganization of ACIP by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., which replaced previous members with panelists seen as vaccine-skeptical. Several experts and medical groups have criticized the changes as weakening child protection.

08-12-2025