Many States Say They'll Defy RFK Jr.'s Changes to Hepatitis B Vaccination

"Most Democratic-led states say they will continue to universally recommend and administer the hepatitis B vaccine at birth, despite new guidance against it issued last week by a federal vaccine advisory panel handpicked by Health and Human Services secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The Northeast Public Health Collaborative and the West Coast Health Alliance, which formed earlier this year in response to Kennedy's concerning overhaul of vaccine policy,"

"Hepatitis B is a serious, incurable infection that can lead to liver damage and liver cancer. It can be passed from mother to child during delivery, and without vaccination, about 90 percent of infants infected at birth develop chronic hepatitis B infection. Among those with chronic infection, 25 percent will die prematurely from the disease. Since 1991, ACIP and the American Academy of Pediatrics have recommended a universal dose of the hepatitis B vaccine within 24 hours after birth."

"During a chaotic two-day meeting that was riddled with misinformation, the committee voted to recommend the hepatitis B vaccine at birth only for infants born to pregnant people who test positive for the virus or whose status is unknown. For those whose hepatitis B status is negative, the panel recommended "individual-based decision-making"-meaning parents should talk with their doctors about vaccinatio"

Many Democratic-led states and regional public health alliances plan to continue recommending and administering hepatitis B vaccine at birth despite new federal guidance advising against universal birth dosing. Hepatitis B is a serious, incurable virus that can be transmitted during delivery; about 90 percent of infants infected at birth develop chronic infection, and 25 percent of those with chronic infection die prematurely. Since 1991, public health bodies recommended a universal dose within 24 hours of birth; early vaccination greatly reduces chronic infection. A newly formed federal advisory panel replaced previous members and voted to limit birth doses to infants of positive or unknown-status mothers and to recommend individual decision-making for others.

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