A committee assembled by US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr is poised to propose sweeping alterations to the nation's childhood immunisation timetable, with a key vote on the hepatitis B vaccine for newborns scheduled for this week.
Panel Vote Could Upend Decades of Policy
The advisory panel, appointed by Kennedy after he dismissed the previous 17-member committee, will meet on December 4th and 5th to discuss and vote on the dose recommendation for the hepatitis B vaccine. According to the meeting agenda and a report from the health policy organisation KFF, the group, which includes several figures known for anti-vaccine views, is expected to advocate for delaying the shot currently given within 24 hours of birth.
Since 1991, medical guidance in the United States has recommended administering the first dose of the hepatitis B vaccine shortly after delivery. The disease, which is highly contagious and transmitted through blood and bodily fluids, can cause severe liver damage, liver failure, and cancer. The birth dose is 90% effective, and completing the three-dose series provides 98% of children with immunity lasting decades.
Medical Experts Sound Alarm Over Misinformation
Public health specialists have expressed profound concern, stating that while the panel's decisions are not legally binding, any misinformation emanating from the meeting could dangerously mislead parents. "Whatever comes out of this disaster of a meeting in December is going to be mainly designed around sowing distrust and spreading fear," said Sean O'Leary, a paediatrics professor at the University of Colorado and chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics' Committee on Infectious Diseases.
Kennedy, a long-time vaccine sceptic, has previously made unfounded claims linking the hepatitis B vaccine to autism. In a separate incident in September, President Donald Trump incorrectly labelled hepatitis B as primarily a sexually transmitted disease, suggesting the vaccine should be delayed until age 12.
The Critical Importance of the Birth Dose
Experts stress that the immediate post-birth vaccination is a crucial safety net. William Schaffner, a professor of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University, explained that even if a pregnant woman tests negative for hepatitis B, false negatives are possible. The virus can spread easily through surface contact, and a caregiver could unknowingly transmit it.
"If you wait a month and if the mum happens to be positive, or the baby picks it up from a caregiver, by that time the infection is established in that baby's liver," Schaffner warned. "It's too late to prevent that infection." Delaying the vaccine, therefore, leaves newborns vulnerable during a critical window.
Health authorities are urging parents with questions or concerns to consult directly with their doctors or paediatricians, relying on established medical evidence rather than political commentary. The outcome of this week's panel vote is likely to ignite further debate around public health policy and scientific integrity in the United States.
