RFK Jr. Hepatitis B Vaccine Defiance: State Responses
- Despite new guidance from a federal advisory panel, several Democratic-led states intend to continue universally recommending and administering the hepatitis B vaccine to newborns, citing the serious risks...
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recently issued new guidance regarding the hepatitis B vaccine.
- The new guidance doesn't explicitly *prohibit* vaccination at birth, but suggests prioritizing vaccination for infants at higher risk of infection.
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States Defy CDC on Hepatitis B Vaccine Recommendation at Birth
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Despite new guidance from a federal advisory panel, several Democratic-led states intend to continue universally recommending and administering the hepatitis B vaccine to newborns, citing the serious risks of the infection and its potential for long-term health consequences.
CDC Panel Recommends Shift in Hepatitis B Vaccination Policy
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recently issued new guidance regarding the hepatitis B vaccine. The recommendations, made on november 30, 2023, suggest a more targeted approach to vaccination, moving away from universal vaccination at birth according to the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. This shift is attributed, in part, to changes within the committee following appointments made by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as reported by Wired.
The new guidance doesn’t explicitly *prohibit* vaccination at birth, but suggests prioritizing vaccination for infants at higher risk of infection. This includes those born to mothers with hepatitis B.
States Push Back Against the New Recommendations
Several states, anticipating a potential decline in vaccination rates, have announced their intention to continue the current policy of universal hepatitis B vaccination at birth. the Northeast Public Health Collaborative and the West Coast Health Alliance, formed earlier in 2023 in response to concerns about changes in federal vaccine policy, are leading this effort. Other blue states are expected to follow suit.
“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,” NBC News reported on December 6, 2023.
Michaela Jackson, director of prevention policy at the Hepatitis B Foundation, emphasized the importance of maintaining current vaccination practices. ”We’ve implemented it,” she said, referring to the universal vaccination policy.
Understanding Hepatitis B and the Importance of Vaccination
Hepatitis B is a viral infection that attacks the liver and can cause both acute and chronic disease.It is spread through contact with infected blood, semen, or other body fluids. A notably concerning aspect of hepatitis B is the risk of mother-to-child transmission during birth. Without vaccination, approximately 90 percent of infants born to mothers with hepatitis B will become infected