Hepatitis B vaccine guidance set to be rolled back for US babies
6 days ago
- #public health
- #hepatitis B
- #vaccination
- US vaccine advisory panel voted to roll back the recommendation for all newborns to receive hepatitis B vaccine shortly after birth.
- Newborn vaccination is still recommended for babies born to mothers who tested positive for hepatitis B or whose status is unknown.
- For babies born to mothers who tested negative, the decision is now individualized, with vaccination suggested no earlier than two months.
- The recommendation must be approved by the CDC director before becoming official policy.
- The discussion was contentious, with some members criticizing past decision-making and raising safety concerns.
- Other members expressed concerns that the new recommendations lack data and could lead to more infections.
- Public commenters and former CDC director Rochelle Walensky emphasized the vaccine's safety based on decades of monitoring.
- Chronic hepatitis B infection can cause liver cancer and death; vaccination has reduced infections in those under 19 by 99% since 1991.
- ACIP also recommended parents discuss antibody testing before additional vaccine doses, though some members opposed this due to lack of scientific backing.
- The re-evaluation was prompted by public dissatisfaction with vaccination policies and misalignment with other developed countries.
- Hepatitis B is sexually transmitted, but mother-to-child transmission remains a concern, with over 600 cases annually in the US.
- Targeting only babies of positive mothers is insufficient due to gaps in prenatal detection.