A reshaped vaccine committee voted to scale back newborn hepatitis B shots despite decades of data showing the birth dose is safe, effective and vital.

The altered Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, without new data to justify a reassessment, will no longer recommend universal hepatitis B vaccination at birth. The committee voted 8–3 to limit vaccination of newborns to those whose mothers test positive for the virus.

For mothers who test negative during pregnancy, ACIP now recommends waiting until their infants are two months of age to give them the first dose. There was no evidence provided at the meeting to support this timing change.

  • atrielienz@lemmy.worldEnglish
    2·
    3 days ago

    This is only a recommendation. The reason it’s dangerous is that now it’s up to states to decide to vaccinate babies with this vaccine and the vaccine has eliminated the cancer often caused by such an infection by something like 90%.

    If you are an expectant mother please advocate for your children. Even if you’re not, we should all be advocating for our state legislatures to continue this recommendation.