Another terrible idea supporting RFK’s anti-science campaign, undermining public health in America
Image: Freepik
By Irwin Redlener, MD
Today, the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted 8-3 to recommend delaying the hepatitis B vaccine birth dose for most newborns —overturning a 30-year policy that has been one of public health's greatest success stories.
This decision is deeply concerning and inconsistent with evidence-based practices that have prevented millions of cases of hepatitis B in children
The stakes for children:
When infants contract hepatitis B, 90% develop chronic infection (versus only 5% of infected adults)
Chronic hepatitis B leads to cirrhosis, liver failure, and liver cancer—often causing death in young adulthood
There is no cure for hepatitis B
What we actually know:
Since 1991, the universal birth dose policy has reduced acute hepatitis B infections in children by 99%
The policy has prevented over 6 million infections and nearly 1 million hospitalizations
Chronic hepatitis B infections in U.S. children have dropped to less than 1%
Why the birth dose matters:
Maternal testing misses 10-15% of at-risk babies due to testing gaps, false negatives, and late pregnancy infections
The birth dose provides a critical safety net when testing fails
Expert modeling predicts that delaying vaccination will result in over 1,400 additional babies developing chronic hepatitis B infections annually.
The Bottom Line
No new safety concerns prompted this change! Multiple expert reviews, including one examining 400 studies over 40 years, found no evidence that the birth dose causes harm. This decision appears driven by vaccine skepticism rather than science, and it will cost children their lives.
