Controversy Erupts Over New Hepatitis B Vaccine Policy

A group of advisors has voted to halt the universal recommendation of the hepatitis B vaccine at birth, limiting the shot to infants of mothers with the virus. This decision, spearheaded by health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, has sparked significant backlash from public health experts, highlighting potential risks to children's health.

A panel of vaccine advisors has caused a major stir in public health circles by halting the long-standing recommendation of administering the hepatitis B shot at birth. The new policy, endorsed by health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, restricts the vaccine to infants whose mothers test positive for the virus.

Public health experts and organizations, including the American Medical Association, have opposed the decision. They argue that it contradicts decades of evidence supporting the vaccine's safety and efficacy. Before the universal vaccination began in 1991, hepatitis B infections in children in the U.S. reached 20,000 cases annually, a figure now dramatically reduced.

The CDC, under acting head Jim O'Neill, who aligns with Kennedy's views, is expected to adopt these recommendations in U.S. health guidelines. This controversial move could lead to more children contracting the virus, as the birth dose has significantly cut infection rates. Medical professionals warn this shift could reverse years of public health progress.

(With inputs from agencies.)