Overview
- The reconstituted CDC vaccine committee meets Dec. 4–5 to consider delaying the newborn hepatitis B dose, with the length of any postponement still undecided, the chair said.
- A University of Minnesota–led review of 400+ studies reports the birth dose cut pediatric hepatitis B by more than 95% and finds no evidence supporting a delay.
- Modeling estimates that a two‑month delay could cause at least 1,400 preventable infections, 300 liver cancer cases, 480 deaths, and more than $222 million in extra healthcare costs each year.
- Although the recommendations are advisory, any change could influence hospital stocking, vaccine supply and insurance coverage, with one major group signaling current coverage through 2026.
- Public‑health experts cite gaps in prenatal screening and caregiver transmission as reasons to retain the birth‑dose safety net, noting decades‑long declines of about 95–99% in pediatric cases.