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CDC Vaccine Panel Votes to End Universal Hepatitis B Birth‑Dose Recommendation

Acting CDC director Jim O’Neill will now decide whether to adopt the change, a ruling that will shape CDC policy.

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A general view of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia September 30, 2014. REUTERS/Tami Chappell/File Photo
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ATLANTA, GEORGIA - DECEMBER 4: Dr. Robert Malone speaks during a meeting of the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) at CDC Headquarters on December 4, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. The ACIP is meeting to vote on changes to the childhood vaccination schedule and delay hepatitis B shots. (Photo by Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images)

Overview

  • The ACIP voted 8–3 to reserve the birth dose for infants of hepatitis B–positive or unknown‑status mothers and to use individual decision‑making for infants of mothers who test negative.
  • If no shot is given at birth, the panel suggested starting the series at about 2 months, replacing the three‑decade practice of a dose within 24 hours of delivery.
  • Medical societies and public‑health experts denounced the rollback, citing extensive safety data and models projecting higher infections if birth‑dose coverage declines.
  • The meeting was contentious and disorganized, following HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s overhaul of the panel and featuring presentations from anti‑vaccine figures.
  • Coverage and access may be affected because CDC policy guides insurer decisions and the Vaccines for Children program, though some states and providers plan to continue endorsing the birth dose.