Overview
- ACIP voted 8–3 to drop the routine hepatitis B shot at birth, shifting to shared decision-making for infants of mothers who test negative and advising that any deferred first dose be given no earlier than two months.
- Major insurers and a CMS official said no‑cost coverage continues under current ACA and program rules, with BCBS and AHIP honoring ACIP recommendations as of set 2025 dates and VFC coverage remaining in place.
- New York State and New York City said their guidance is unchanged and still calls for a birth dose for every newborn, and Maryland issued an advisory and standing order to maintain universal newborn access in line with AAP recommendations.
- The American Academy of Pediatrics and the AMA oppose the federal panel’s shift, warning it creates confusion and undermines a vaccine credited with a roughly 99% drop in pediatric hepatitis B, a point echoed by expert clinicians.
- The CDC director has not yet finalized the committee’s recommendation, and local officials report rising parental anxiety as states, medical groups and regional alliances reaffirm the birth‑dose practice.