Top Headlines

Feeds

ACIP Votes 8‑3 to End Universal Hepatitis B Birth Dose, Shifts to Shared Decision‑Making

Updated (6 articles)

Vote Finalized on December 5, 2025 The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices approved an 8‑3 recommendation to abandon the routine hepatitis B birth‑dose, moving to shared clinical decision‑making and allowing the first dose at age 2 months if the birth dose is omitted [1][2]. The vote followed a postponed decision on December 4 due to wording confusion [3]. The new policy also suggests post‑vaccination anti‑HBs antibody testing before additional doses [1].

Committee Reconstituted by HHS Secretary Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. removed all 17 sitting ACIP members in June 2025 and appointed new advisers, many identified with anti‑vaccine positions [1][2]. The reshaped panel voted on the birth‑dose change and on the serology testing proposal [1]. Critics argue the overhaul undermines the committee’s scientific independence [3][4].

First Televised Meeting and Professional Backlash The December session was filmed in a “C‑Span‑style” studio on CDC grounds, a departure from the usual conference‑room format [1][2]. The American Academy of Pediatrics, American Medical Association, Infectious Diseases Society of America, and other groups condemned the recommendation as reckless and potentially harmful [1][2]. Presentations included controversial discussions of aluminum adjuvants and a comparison with Denmark’s schedule [1].

Public‑Health Concerns Over Delayed Protection Local health departments warned that delaying the birth dose could increase hepatitis B infections, especially in communities with limited maternal screening [2]. The VFC program now advises a 2‑month delay for infants without a birth dose [2]. Proponents of the change cite stakeholder pressure and perceived low risk, while opponents cite the historic drop from ~18,000 pediatric cases to ~20 per year since the 1991 universal policy [5].

Sources

Videos (1)

Timeline

1991 – CDC establishes a universal hepatitis B birth‑dose recommendation, which drives a decline in pediatric hepatitis B cases from roughly 18,000 annually to about 20 per year, demonstrating the vaccine’s effectiveness. [5]

June 9, 2025 – HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. removes all 17 sitting ACIP members and appoints new advisers, many with anti‑vaccine views, fundamentally reshaping the committee’s composition and prompting criticism that scientific independence is compromised. [3][4][5][6]

2025 – The United States remains one of only eight of 37 high‑income nations that retain a universal hepatitis B birth‑dose policy, underscoring its outlier status in global immunization practice. [4]

Dec 4, 2025 – ACIP convenes for a two‑day session to review the hepatitis B birth‑dose schedule, with an agenda that includes disease burden, vaccine safety, and a proposed shift to individual‑based decision‑making for infants of HBsAg‑negative mothers. [4][5][6]

Dec 4, 2025 – Confusion over revised voting language prompts a 6‑3 vote to postpone the decision, giving members additional time to examine the wording before a final vote. [3]

Dec 5, 2025 – ACIP votes 8‑3 to abandon the universal birth‑dose recommendation, endorsing shared clinical decision‑making and a minimum age of two months for the first dose when the birth dose is omitted. [1][2]

Dec 5, 2025 – The committee also adopts a new recommendation for post‑vaccination anti‑HBs antibody testing before subsequent doses, a proposal that faces opposition from several members. [1]

Dec 5, 2025 – The meeting is broadcast from a CDC studio in a “C‑Span‑style” production, marking the first televised ACIP session and increasing public visibility of the deliberations. [1]

Dec 5, 2025 – The American Academy of Pediatrics, American Medical Association, and Infectious Diseases Society of America issue statements calling the change “reckless,” “harmful,” and “unscientific.” [2]

Dec 5, 2025 – Dr. Jason Goldman remarks that the panel’s presentations “are not following science,” highlighting internal dissent over the evidence base. [5]

Dec 5, 2025 – Presentations discuss aluminum adjuvants, compare U.S. and Danish hepatitis B schedules, and feature attorney Aaron Siri’s talk on vaccine requirements, drawing criticism for potential bias. [1]

Dec 5, 2025 – Local health departments warn that delaying the birth dose could increase hepatitis B infections, especially in communities with limited maternal screening and follow‑up. [2]

Dec 5, 2025 – The Vaccines for Children program updates guidance to recommend a two‑month delay for infants who do not receive the birth dose, aligning federal policy with the new ACIP recommendation. [2]

Social media (6 posts)

External resources (36 links)