(AURN News) — CDC vaccine advisers voted today to end universal Hepatitis B vaccination for newborns, reversing guidance that has been standard practice for more than 30 years.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) — overhauled earlier this year by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — approved the change despite warnings from pediatricians that it could increase infection rates among vulnerable infants.
Under the new policy, mothers must be screened first, and only infants considered high risk will be vaccinated. This reverses the long-standing approach credited with reducing U.S. Hepatitis B cases by more than 90% since the 1990s.
Critics, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, called the move dangerous, arguing it ignores clear evidence that routine newborn vaccination prevents mother‑to‑child transmission even when mothers test negative.
ACIP votes shape physician recommendations, school immunization requirements and programs that serve nearly half of U.S. children — meaning lower vaccination rates, potential outbreaks and increased health care costs may follow.
Click play to listen to the report from AURN White House Correspondent Ebony McMorris. For more news, follow @E_N_McMorris & @aurnonline.
