Overview
- After a chaotic session marked by disputed claims and unclear voting language, the ACIP delayed its hepatitis B decision to Friday rather than voting Thursday as planned.
- The committee is weighing guidance that would let parents defer the newborn dose to at least two months for babies of mothers who test negative or lack test results, with optional pre‑dose blood testing under discussion.
- An independent review of more than 400 studies concluded the birth dose has cut pediatric hepatitis B by over 95% and found no evidence supporting a delay.
- Public‑health modeling warns that deferring the first dose to two months could result in at least 1,400 additional infections, 300 more liver cancers and 480 avoidable deaths in children.
- Medical groups and several Northeastern states say they will keep recommending vaccination within 24 hours of birth regardless of ACIP’s move, as changes could affect insurance coverage and disrupt use of pediatric combination vaccines.