Experts on the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel delayed a decision on whether to narrow recommendations for the hepatitis B birth dose.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted 6–3 on Dec. 4 to postpone a decision on revising the agency’s hepatitis B vaccination guidelines, opting to delay the vote until Friday.
Vice Chair Dr. Robert Malone said the delay followed last-minute changes to the proposal’s language and the absence of Chairman Dr. Kirk Milhoan, who is traveling abroad.
The updated draft language shifted from recommending the vaccine only for newborns of hepatitis B–positive mothers to also including infants whose mothers’ infection status is unknown.
Since 1991, the CDC has advised that all infants receive the hepatitis B vaccine shortly after birth, followed by additional doses at 1–2 months and 6–18 months. The policy contributed to a sharp decline in hepatitis B infections since the 1980s.
During the meeting, CDC contractor Cynthia Nevison presented data indicating that improved screening, rather than universal vaccination alone, may explain much of the decline in cases. Mark Blaxill, a recent CDC hire and co-author of The Age of Autism, argued that the vaccine requires more robust safety testing.
Committee member Dr. Cody Meissner supported deferring the vote, saying the current immunization program has been effective in reducing disease rates.
Vicky Pebsworth, who led the committee’s hepatitis B workgroup, said the universal birth-dose policy is “misaligned relative to existing recommendations in most other developed countries,” where vaccination is typically reserved for infants of infected mothers.
Representatives from vaccine manufacturers told the panel they oppose changing the existing schedule.
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