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9h ago

Insurers Say Hepatitis B Shot Stays Free as ACIP Backs Ending Newborn Birth Dose

Major insurers plus a CMS official say the vaccine will still be covered without out‑of‑pocket costs.

The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted Friday to end universal hepatitis B vaccination recommendations for newborns.
FILE – This April 1, 2025 photo shows the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention building in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Ben Gray, file)

Overview

  • The CDC’s vaccine advisers voted 8–3 to drop the universal hepatitis B birth‑dose recommendation and shift to shared clinical decision‑making.
  • Advisers also recommended that infants who skip the birth dose wait at least two months before receiving the vaccine.
  • Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and AHIP said they will maintain no‑cost coverage for ACIP‑recommended vaccines through 2026, with BCBS using a January 1, 2025 baseline and AHIP a September 1, 2025 baseline.
  • A CMS official said the move to individual decision‑making language does not change no‑cost coverage requirements for the vaccine.
  • New York City’s acting health commissioner said the city will keep recommending the birth dose and warned the shift could confuse parents, while the CDC director has not yet acted on the panel’s advice.