Debate Over Hepatitis B Vaccine Policy Poses Health Risks

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s vaccine advisers are set to vote on changing the U.S. hepatitis B vaccine guidelines. The current recommendation, which significantly reduces infection rates, could be revised to exclude routine doses for most children, raising concerns among health experts.

In a pivotal decision, vaccine advisers to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are readying to vote on Friday to possibly discard the longstanding recommendation for the hepatitis B vaccine for most American children, a move anticipated to have significant implications under President Trump's health leadership.

Currently, the U.S. advocates a universal hepatitis B vaccine policy, initiated in 1991, which administers a dose at birth to cut infection rates drastically. However, revised proposals suggest restricting the vaccine only to infants of mothers who test positive for the virus.

The committee also plans to assess the safety of aluminum adjuvants amid concerns over their link to asthma. This debate highlights contrasts between the U.S. and other nations' immunization schedules, raising pivotal public health questions.

(With inputs from agencies.)