Overview
- After two days of debate, the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee voted 8–3 to limit the birth‑dose Hepatitis B shot to cases where the infant or mother tests positive or the mother’s status is unknown.
- For infants whose mothers test negative, the panel advises deferring the first Hepatitis B dose until at least two months after birth following discussion with a physician.
- The American Academy of Pediatrics called the recommendation misleading for parents, with president Susan Kressly warning it would likely increase infections in infants and children.
- Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. reshaped the advisory panel in June with members described as vaccine skeptics and has questioned a possible vaccine–autism link, moves critics say influenced the outcome.
- The White House said President Donald Trump welcomed the shift and directed a broader review of childhood vaccination rules to align with practices in comparable countries.