CDC Scales Back Universal Hepatitis B Shot for Newborns

The CDC has dropped its long-standing advice that all newborns be given a hepatitis B vaccine shortly after birth, instead telling parents of babies born to mothers who test negative for the virus to decide with their doctor whether to vaccinate at birth, reports USA Today. The change comes after a recommendation from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s vaccine advisory panel, which said the birth dose should be reserved for infants whose mothers test positive for hepatitis B or if their status isn't clear. The CDC signed off on that shift on Tuesday.

If parents skip the shot in the delivery room but later opt in, the CDC now advises waiting until the baby is at least 2 months old to begin the three-dose series. The agency's guidelines are more than symbolic: They influence what insurers cover and shape how physicians choose vaccines. Since 1991, federal health officials have backed universal infant hepatitis B vaccination, a policy credited with cutting reported infections by nearly 90%, from 9.6 cases per 100,000 people before widespread vaccination to about 1 per 100,000 by 2018.

Some infectious-disease experts say the new stance risks reversing that progress. The CDC describes the move as "individual-based decision-making," but critics worry that loosening a firm national standard will mean more families forgo the shot and more children are exposed to a virus that can cause severe liver disease and is often spread unknowingly through contact with infected blood or other bodily fluids.

"This recommendation is ignoring the science," said Dr. Emily Landon of University of Chicago Medicine. Unsurprisingly, the CDC disagrees, per CNN. "This recommendation reflects [the advisory panel's] rigorous review of the available evidence," acting CDC chief Jim O'Neill said in a statement. "We are restoring the balance of informed consent to parents whose newborns face little risk of contracting hepatitis B." The agency says it's still weighing a related proposal that would have parents consult with a clinician about antibody testing to determine whether a later hepatitis B dose is needed. The Washington Post has more answers to common questions on the contagious disease.