The CDC’s reconstituted Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) is set to vote this week on scrapping a recommendation that infants be vaccinated for hepatitis B within 24 hours of birth if their mothers test negative. The timing of the delayed dose still must be finalized.
The advisory panel’s new chair, Dr. Kirk Milhoan, told The Washington Post that the group will also scrutinize vaccine ingredients such as aluminum salts and the timing of cumulative doses.
The committee postponed a similar vote in September amid disagreement.
The hepatitis shot is the latest controversial vaccine issue the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has tackled since Robert F. Kennedy Jr., known for his vaccine skepticism, became the nation’s top public health official this year.
Why this vote matters
While ACIP’s guidelines are not binding, they are influential. Insurers often base coverage decisions on the panel’s recommendations, which are also followed closely by state health agencies.
It recommended a universal birth dose for the hepatitis B vaccine in 1991. Since then, the Post notes, hepatitis B infections among children and teenagers have fallen by 99%.
What could change for hepatitis B at birth?
CNN cites a new modeling study that projects significant risks if the birth dose is delayed. The analysis estimates that pushing the vaccine to age 12 could result in nearly 800 annual deaths and 2,700 infections among children. Even a two-month delay could cause roughly 480 deaths and 1,400 infections each year.
“On the one hand, this entire process started with a message of ‘Kids get too many shots,’” Chari Cohen, president of the Hepatitis B Foundation, told The New York Times. “And now we’re talking about taking away the combination vaccines, which of course is going to mean more doses for kids.”
What else is on the table?
Milhoan told the Post that while vaccine benefits are established, the panel wants to focus more on potential risks. The group plans to discuss whether childhood vaccinations are linked to autoimmune conditions like eczema or asthma. It will also review the use of aluminum adjuvants, though Milhoan clarified the panel is “just starting to have the discussion” and is not currently calling for their removal.
The Times reported that the Trump administration and CDC officials have also floated splitting combination shots, including measles, mumps and rubella, into separate doses. Immunologists and supply experts told the Times that breaking up those vaccines could raise costs and depress completion.
Who reshaped the committee — and how are priorities shifting?
Kennedy overhauled the 17-member board earlier this year. According to CNN, the new panel has already taken controversial steps, including a September recommendation to split the MMR-varicella combination shot for young children. This week, HHS appointed Milhoan as chair, replacing Dr. Martin Kulldorff, who is moving to a staff position.
Separately, an FDA memo from vaccine chief Vinay Prasad calls for stricter approval standards and questions simultaneous dosing. The Times said the memo offered no underlying data.
A Thursday vote is scheduled on hepatitis B, with broader discussions on Friday. HHS said the panel “remains committed to evidence based decision making.”
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