The CDC’s vaccine advisory panel voted 8–2 to end the 30-year recommendation that newborns receive a hepatitis B vaccine dose within 24 hours of birth if their mothers test negative for the virus.
Instead, the panel urged parents to consult doctors and consider delaying the shot until two months. Medical groups, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, strongly opposed the move, warning it leaves infants vulnerable to a virus that can cause lifelong liver disease.
APhA is deeply disappointed by the CDC’s ACIP vote to remove the universal recommendation for hepatitis B vaccine birth doses for U.S. infants. This decision undermines a critical public health measure that has been protecting our babies since 1991. ➡️https://t.co/3euxtCrIOW pic.twitter.com/A2JKGSeYBU
— American Pharmacists Association (@pharmacists) December 5, 2025
The decision followed two days of confusion and contentious debate, with several panelists criticizing the lack of scientific evidence for changing the policy. Critics noted that universal newborn vaccination cut infant hepatitis B infections by 99% since 1991.
Sen. Bill Cassidy urged the CDC director to reject the recommendation, calling it a “mistake.” The shift also comes amid growing pressure from vaccine skeptics, including Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
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TIPP Staff
TIPP Staff
