Major US Expert Group to Vote on Altering Newborn Hepatitis B Vaccine Recommendation

Following a delay and an unusually contentious gathering, a national immunization advisory committee was expected to vote on Friday regarding a potential change to the longstanding recommendation that each baby be vaccinated against hepatitis B.

Fiery Exchange and a Deferred Vote

The initial day of the conference on Thursday was characterized by fiery discussion over curbing eligibility to the hepatitis B vaccine for newborns and a decision to postpone the decision by a day to give members more time to scrutinize the phrasing. The committee, which advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on immunization practices, had put off the vote twice in the past.

“Is there any definitive data of damage of giving this immunization before 30 days? Or is this conjecture?” inquired one panel member.

In reply, another attendee stated, “There is inadequate data about the enduring danger.”

Existing Recommendations and Potential Impact

The injection is currently recommended for every newborn within 24 hours of birth to prevent infection of hepatitis B, which can result in serious liver damage. It has been given to 1.4 billion people for more than three decades.

The Georgia assembly offered no new evidence of injuries resulting from the vaccine. Authorities state any change to the current hepatitis B vaccine regimen could have major and extensive consequences for infant and child health in the United States.

Committee Makeup and Latest Shifts

The expert committee can only provide advice to the leader of the CDC. The panel's membership has seen shifts in recent days, with the statement that the group's former head would leave for an agency job and be replaced by a cardiologist who has been questioning of other vaccines.

The board includes multiple vaccine skeptics who support a desire to overhaul – and potentially, in some cases, abolish – traditional vaccine advisories.