Shifting Vaccine Policies: A Controversial Decision

A federal vaccine advisory committee has voted to end the longstanding recommendation for all US newborns to receive the hepatitis B vaccine at birth. The decision, led by newly appointed members under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., recommends vaccination based on maternal infection status, sparking public health concern.

The federal vaccine advisory committee, appointed by U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has sparked controversy by voting to end the years-old recommendation that all newborns in the U.S. receive the hepatitis B vaccine upon birth. The committee now advises vaccination for babies only if their mothers test positive for the virus.

This decision marks a significant shift from a public health policy established decades ago, which played a pivotal role in reducing infant hepatitis B infections. Medical experts and public health leaders have criticized the panel's move, arguing it undermines a critical preventive measure and citing the committee's lack of substantial evidence for the change.

The acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Jim O'Neill, must decide whether to adopt the committee's recommendation. The debate centers on the balance between parental choice and public health needs, as concerns grow about the influence of anti-vaccine perspectives within the advisory body.