The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has ended the long-standing recommendation that all newborns receive the hepatitis B vaccine, marking a significant departure from 30 years of established medical guidance. The change follows a vote by health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr’s vaccine advisory panel, which advised that the birth dose should only be given to infants whose mothers test positive for hepatitis B or whose status is unknown.
Under the new policy, parents of newborns born to hepatitis B-negative mothers are advised to consult a healthcare provider to decide on vaccination, including the birth dose. If parents choose to delay, the CDC now recommends waiting at least two months before administering the first dose. Acting CDC director Jim O’Neill stated that the move “restores the balance of informed consent” for parents whose children face low risk of infection.
Experts have voiced concerns that the policy could lead to increased preventable infections. Michaela Jackson of the Hepatitis B Foundation warned that the change “removes choice by causing barriers to access” and may confuse parents. Dr Emily Landon of the University of Chicago Medicine criticised the decision as ignoring scientific evidence, noting that hepatitis B infections in the US have fallen nearly 90% since universal vaccination began.
The CDC described the new approach as “individual-based decision making,” but critics argue it could undermine public health efforts and lead to more families opting out of vaccination. Hepatitis B, which can cause serious liver disease, spreads through blood and body fluids, and the policy shift comes amid broader changes to US vaccination policy under Kennedy, a longtime anti-vaccine activist.
