American Parents Can Now Skip This Vaccine for Their Newborns After CDC Vote

Kennedy-Appointed Advisers Vote 8-3

The CDC’s vaccine advisory committee just voted to stop recommending hepatitis B vaccines within 24 hours of birth for most American babies.

The decision reverses a policy that had been in place since 1991 and was credited with cutting childhood infections by 99%.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired all 17 previous committee members in June and replaced them with his own picks, and now critics are warning the change could undo decades of public health progress.

Only High-Risk Babies Keep Recommendation

Under the new guidance, only babies born to mothers who test positive for hepatitis B or whose status is unknown would still get the shot at birth.

For everyone else, parents would consult with doctors about whether and when to vaccinate. If they choose to delay, the committee suggested waiting until at least 2 months of age for the first dose.

The hepatitis B vaccine is typically given as a three-dose series.

A 34-Year Policy Gets Reversed

The universal birth dose recommendation had been a cornerstone of American vaccine policy since 1991.

Before that, the CDC only recommended the shot for babies considered high-risk, such as those born to infected mothers.

That targeted approach failed because tens of thousands of children still got infected through household contacts, shared items, or mothers whose test results were wrong or missing.

Kennedy Replaced Entire Committee in June

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired all 17 sitting members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices on June 9, 2025.

He announced the dismissals in a Wall Street Journal op-ed, claiming the committee was plagued by conflicts of interest.

Kennedy then appointed new members, several of whom have expressed skepticism about vaccines or have ties to anti-vaccine advocacy groups.

Before 1991: 18,000 Kids Infected Yearly

Prior to the universal birth dose policy, about 18,000 American children under 10 contracted hepatitis B every year. Roughly half of those infections happened at birth.

About 90% of infants infected with hepatitis B develop chronic infections, and one in four of those children will eventually die from liver failure or liver cancer.

The disease can remain silent for years before causing damage.

Today Fewer Than 20 Babies Infected

The birth dose policy drove annual newborn infections from thousands down to fewer than 20 reported cases. A 2022 study found that children who received the vaccine as newborns were 22% less likely to die from any cause.

Public health researchers estimate the policy has prevented more than 500,000 childhood infections and 90,000 childhood deaths since 1991.

Republican Senator Calls Vote a Mistake

Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican who chairs the Senate health committee and practiced medicine specializing in hepatitis B, publicly criticized the decision.

He noted that before the birth dose was recommended, 20,000 newborns per year were infected, compared to fewer than 20 now.

Cassidy urged acting CDC Director Jim O’Neill to reject the panel’s recommendation and keep the existing evidence-based approach.

Doctors Warn of Preventable Deaths

Medical groups strongly opposed the change. The American Association of Immunologists called the decision a dangerous departure from decades of achievement.

A recent modeling study projected that delaying the vaccine by even two months could lead to over 1,400 preventable infections, 304 cases of liver cancer, and 482 related deaths.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has been boycotting ACIP meetings since Kennedy replaced its members.

West Coast States Reject Federal Change

California, Oregon, Washington, and Hawaii announced they would continue recommending the hepatitis B birth dose for all newborns regardless of the federal change.

The four states formed the West Coast Health Alliance in September specifically to counter concerns about CDC independence under Kennedy’s leadership.

Oregon’s health authority said no credible evidence was presented to support delaying the vaccine.

Insurance Coverage Stays the Same

Federal officials confirmed that the hepatitis B vaccine will remain covered at no additional cost, including under Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program.

The Vaccines for Children program will also continue providing the shot. Parents who want to vaccinate their newborns can still do so.

The change affects the official recommendation, not access to the vaccine itself.

Decision Now Rests With CDC Director

Acting CDC Director Jim O’Neill must decide whether to formally adopt the panel’s recommendation.

O’Neill is a former investment executive who served at HHS under President George W. Bush but does not have a medical background. If he approves the change, it would officially update CDC guidance.

States can still set their own policies, and several have already indicated they will keep recommending the birth dose.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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