Vaccines and Immunization Policy

At a contentious Dec. meeting, the HHS‑appointed Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted 8–3 to end the universal hepatitis B birth‑dose—limiting routine immediate vaccination to infants of HBV‑positive mothers and leaving other cases to clinician‑parent decision‑making—and separately voted 6–4‑1 to recommend post‑vaccination antibody testing to identify infants who might require fewer than three doses. The recommendations, which must be approved by acting CDC director Jim O’Neill, drew sharp criticism from pediatric and infectious‑disease experts and public‑health groups who warn the change could lead to hundreds or thousands more infant infections given screening gaps and the vaccine’s decades‑long role in nearly eliminating pediatric hepatitis B.