Kennedy Jr-backed panel scraps hepatitis B vaccine at birth, limits it to high-risk infants

A group of vaccine advisers on Friday (December 5) removed the long-standing recommendation that all US newborns receive the hepatitis B vaccine at birth, marking a major policy shift championed by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

The committee voted to continue the birth dose only for infants whose mothers test positive for hepatitis B, replacing the 1991 universal guideline that protected all children from potential liver infections.

New guidelines for infants

For babies of mothers who test negative, the panel recommended that parents, in consultation with their healthcare provider, decide when or if to begin the vaccine series.

Under the scrapped universal recommendation, the birth dose was followed by two additional doses at 1–2 months and 6–18 months. The committee now suggests that if parents skip the birth dose, the first vaccine should be given no earlier than two months of age.

Kennedy’s role and committee changes

Kennedy replaced 17 independent experts in June with a committee largely supportive of his views.

During the two-day meeting, two members strongly opposed the change, arguing there was no evidence supporting it and highlighting decades of data on the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness.

Safety concerns and global standards

Some committee members, who now include no immunologists, argued that studies on newborn safety were limited.

The World Health Organization recommends that all infants receive the hepatitis B vaccine immediately after birth, followed by two or three doses at least four weeks apart. The WHO notes that 95% of infected newborns may develop chronic hepatitis B.

CDC decision pending

The acting CDC director, Jim O’Neill, is expected to decide whether to accept the committee’s new recommendation.

Committee members emphasized that the risk of infection for most infants is very low, and voiced concern that doctors may not always fully discuss the risks and benefits of a birth-dose vaccination with parents.

Hepatitis B risks

Hepatitis B is a serious liver infection that can be acute in adults but may become chronic in infants and children, potentially causing liver failure, cirrhosis, or cancer.

The virus is transmitted through sexual contact, sharing needles, or mother-to-child transmission at birth.