Overview
- The committee limited the birth dose to infants of mothers who test positive for hepatitis B surface antigen or whose status is unknown, leaving other cases to parental and clinician discretion with a suggested start at two months if the birth dose is declined.
- Members approved the change 8–3 and separately voted 6–4 to encourage discussions about post‑vaccination antibody testing, which a CDC hepatitis expert warned would be an inconsistent way to judge reduced dosing.
- Numerous medical and public‑health leaders condemned the decision, and Sen. Bill Cassidy urged the CDC not to adopt it, calling the vote an error that could increase cases.
- Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dismissed the previous 17 ACIP members in June and installed the current panel, prompting criticism of the committee’s scientific legitimacy.
- Supporters of the shift argued most newborns face very low infection risk and that evidence on the birth dose’s safety is insufficient, while dissenting panelists said there is no documented harm and opposed ending the universal recommendation.