Vaccine advisers to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have delayed a vote on restricting hepatitis B vaccination for infants, following a contentious meeting. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted six to three to postpone the decision until Friday, allowing members to review the wording of the proposal.
The meeting, described as unprecedented, saw advisers debate limiting access to the hepatitis B vaccine for newborns, a shot that has been routinely given at birth for decades. No new evidence of harm was presented; the vaccine has been administered to 1.4 billion people with a strong safety record. Infant immunisation has been linked to a 99% decline in acute hepatitis B cases among children, adolescents, and young adults between 1990 and 2019.
The ACIP, whose members were appointed by Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr—a prominent anti-vaccine activist—has previously recommended restricting access to Covid-19, measles, mumps, rubella, and chickenpox vaccines. Experts warn that any change to the hepatitis B schedule could have significant consequences for childhood health in the US.
A new model suggests that delaying the shot from birth to two months could lead to at least 1,400 infections, 300 cases of liver cancer, and 480 deaths annually, all preventable by vaccination. It would also incur over $222 million in additional healthcare costs each year. A review of more than 400 studies found no evidence that delaying the vaccine improves safety or effectiveness.
Debra Houry, former CDC chief medical officer, said that simply holding discussions around established vaccines creates confusion for parents, potentially undermining confidence in the entire vaccine schedule. The ACIP can only make recommendations to CDC acting director Jim O’Neill.
