Overview
- For infants of mothers who test negative for hepatitis B, the panel endorsed individual decision-making with a suggested start no earlier than two months if the birth dose is declined.
- Guidance for babies born to mothers who are hepatitis B–positive or whose status is unknown remains unchanged, with a birth dose still recommended.
- Public‑health leaders and medical groups condemned the move, warning it could raise infection risks and erode decades of progress against pediatric hepatitis B.
- The remade committee, appointed by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., advanced the change despite members acknowledging limited evidence for a two‑month delay.
- Because many states and insurers follow ACIP language, experts cautioned the shift could complicate access and coverage for the birth dose, though some jurisdictions and societies plan to keep stronger guidance.