Overview
- The reconstituted CDC immunization committee, led by Dr. Kirk Milhoan, will vote this week on whether to postpone the hepatitis B birth dose for most U.S. infants, with the length of any delay still unspecified.
- The Vaccine Integrity Project reviewed more than 400 studies and reports a greater than 95% drop in pediatric hepatitis B since 1991, estimating over 6 million infections and about 1 million hospitalizations averted among children born 1994–2023.
- Michael Osterholm says the review found no safety or efficacy evidence to justify delaying the newborn vaccination.
- Vaccine expert Tony Fiore warns postponement would heighten the risk of transmission from infected parents or caregivers to infants.
- Manufacturers and logistics specialists caution that shifting the schedule could disrupt supply for a year or more and complicate use of combination vaccines, which matters as roughly 3.5 million babies receive the birth dose annually.