Overview
- ACIP voted 8–3 to replace the long‑standing recommendation for a hepatitis B shot within 24 hours of birth with individual decision‑making for infants of mothers who test negative.
- For newborns who skip the birth dose, the panel suggested delaying the first hepatitis B shot to no earlier than two months, while guidance for babies of mothers who are positive or unknown remains unchanged.
- The committee separately backed using antibody (serology) testing before additional doses by a 6–4 vote with one abstention, despite dissent over limited supporting data.
- The recommendation is not final until acting CDC director Jim O’Neill acts, and a CMS representative told the panel that insurance coverage for parents choosing the birth dose would remain at no additional cost.
- The move, taken by a committee overhauled by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., drew sharp criticism from medical groups including the AAP, with experts warning of increased infections and noting WHO favors a birth dose in nearly 120 countries.