Controversial Shift: U.S. Scraps Universal Hepatitis B Shot for Newborns

U.S. vaccine advisers have reversed a long-standing policy by scrapping the universal hepatitis B shot recommendation for newborns, limiting it to babies with mothers of known or unknown infected status. This decision, viewed as a victory for anti-vaccine proponent Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has sparked criticism among public health experts.

In a significant policy reversal, U.S. vaccine advisers have revoked the universal hepatitis B vaccination recommendation for newborns, a move championed by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The committee now advises the hepatitis B vaccine only for infants whose mothers test positive for the virus or have an unknown status.

This decision, deviating from the 1991 universal guideline, has been sharply criticized by health professionals and organizations for potentially undermining years of public health progress. Experts argue it creates barriers to access and distorts the safety and efficacy data of the vaccine, which reduced U.S. hepatitis B cases by nearly 90% over the decades.

According to critics, Kennedy's broad policy changes reflect his anti-vaccine stance, creating a divide among medical groups. Despite regulatory changes, vaccine manufacturers continue to assert the product's safety, although financial markets responded with slight fluctuations in company shares. Meanwhile, the decision now awaits implementation guidance from the CDC.