US Vaccine Advisory Panel Abolishes 'Neonatal Hepatitis B Vaccination Recommendation' After 34 Years

Currently, Vaccination Is Required Within 24 Hours of Birth
"First Dose Not Allowed Until After Two Months of Age" Change

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), under the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which determines the United States' vaccine policy, has decided to abolish the “neonatal hepatitis B vaccination recommendation” that has been in place for over 30 years.

On the 5th (local time), a meeting of the US Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) was held in Atlanta. Photo by AP Yonhap News

At its meeting on the 5th (local time), ACIP voted to recommend hepatitis B vaccination only for newborns whose mothers test positive for the virus, which accounts for less than 1% of all births.

Regarding this, President Donald Trump praised the decision as “a very good one,” arguing that “most babies are at no risk at all for hepatitis B, a disease primarily transmitted through sexual contact or contaminated needles.”

Currently, the hepatitis B vaccine is administered within 24 hours of birth to block infection as early as possible. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 95% of newborns who contract hepatitis B progress to chronic hepatitis. However, under the new recommendation, ACIP advises that if the mother tests negative for the virus, the decision and timing of starting hepatitis B vaccination for the newborn should be discussed between healthcare providers and the mother, and the first dose should not be administered until after two months of age.

As a result, the current neonatal hepatitis B vaccination recommendation, which was introduced in 1991, will be abolished after 34 years.

ACIP also decided that, before receiving the additional doses currently scheduled at 1-2 months and 6-18 months after the first dose, newborns should undergo a hepatitis B antibody test. The committee did not provide details regarding the timing of these additional doses.

This recommendation is highly likely to be officially adopted by the CDC. ACIP consists of highly respected figures in the medical field, and the CDC director has generally accepted the committee’s recommendations.

However, significant backlash is expected over this recommendation. The current ACIP has faced friction with the medical and public health communities because, in June, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert Kennedy Jr., a known vaccine skeptic, dismissed all previous members and hastily appointed individuals aligned with his views.

"Baseless Claims" Draw Strong Medical Opposition

Although the CDC’s recommendation is nominally an “advisory,” it immediately affects the scope of health insurance coverage, causing vaccination costs to surge. In addition, the legal liability of healthcare providers increases, making it virtually impossible to administer the vaccine.

The medical community’s opposition is also intense. Dr. Flor Munoz, a pediatric infectious disease specialist, criticized the decision as “based on baseless claims,” calling it “extremely confusing and disappointing.” Republican Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana also pointed out, “As a specialist who has treated hepatitis B patients for decades, changing this vaccine schedule is a mistake.”

Since Secretary Kennedy Jr. took office, U.S. health authorities have been overturning previous policies. They have stopped recommending COVID-19 vaccination even for high-risk groups such as the elderly and adopted a recommendation not to administer the combined measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (MMRV) vaccine before age four.

Last September, President Trump also stirred controversy by announcing that taking Tylenol during pregnancy increases the risk of giving birth to a child with autism and advising, “Do not take Tylenol.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.