A key U.S. vaccine policy-worldwide newborn hepatitis B vaccination-is facing its first major alteration in decades following a controversial vote by a federal advisory panel on Friday. The decision to allow parents of newborns who test negative for hepatitis B to forgo the vaccine is prompting concern from medical professionals, notably considering recent changes to the panelS composition [[2]]. The hepatitis B vaccine has been credited with a 99% reduction in serious infections since the early 1990s [[1]], raising questions about the potential public health impact of this revised guidance.
A U.S. advisory panel on vaccines voted on Friday, December 5, 2025, to alter its longstanding recommendation for routine hepatitis B vaccination of newborns. The decision marks a potential shift in preventative care for the highly infectious virus, which can lead to chronic liver disease in many children who become infected. The vaccine has been a cornerstone of public health efforts, preventing over 500,000 infections and more than 90,000 deaths over the past three decades, according to experts.
The change comes after a recent overhaul of the Immunization Practices Advisory Committee (IPAC) by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a lawyer and activist with a history of opposing vaccines. The panel voted 8 to 3 to allow women who test negative for the virus to decide whether their newborns receive the vaccination. The committee stated that this decision should “consider the benefits and risks of the vaccine and the risks of infection.”
The recommendation to vaccinate against hepatitis B remains unchanged for mothers who are known to be infected, or whose infection status is unknown or inconclusive. While the changes are not expected to affect insurance coverage, they represent a win for the Kennedy Jr.-led Department of Health. This decision underscores the ongoing debate surrounding vaccine policy and parental choice.
Decision Raises Concerns Among Health Experts
Several of the newly appointed members of the immunization advisory panel are close associates of the Health Secretary, who dismissed the previous 17 members in June, citing a need to restore public trust in the organization. These new advisors have faced criticism from the scientific community for lacking relevant experience or promoting anti-vaccine theories.
More than seventy health policy experts and the American Public Health Association (APHA), representing over 23,000 members, have warned against ending or postponing this immunization, which they describe as a “landmark achievement in U.S. child health policy.”
“This immunization schedule has virtually eliminated chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections in children. Since then, no evidence has emerged to question the safety or effectiveness of universal newborn immunization,” the APHA stated in a recent communication. The association argues that delaying or eliminating the vaccine is a mistake that “poses significant risks to public health.”
DZC (EFE, AFP)
