Health and Me

Ishita Roy

As CDC Reconsiders Longstanding Hepatitis B Vaccines For Newborns, We Fact Checked The Claims Made By The Panel

Ever since the Trump administration has come to power, sentiments against vaccines have gone up. Many vaccine critiques have been handpicked by the anti-vaxxer HHS Secretary <span>RFK Jr</span>. as health officials. So it is no surprise that now the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) is now recommending that mothers who test negative for hepatitis B should discuss the need for the vaccine with their doctors. If parents choose to delay the birth dose, the first shot should be given at no earlier than two months of age. This is dropping the longstanding hepatitis B vaccine guideline that stated that every newborn receive the first dose of the hepatitis B vaccine shortly after birth. This recommendation, in place since 1991, was reversed on December 5 after a key CDC advisory committee voted to change the policy.

This committee was appointed by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who dismissed all 17 previous members earlier this year. The shift in policy has triggered wide debate, especially in the medical community, because it overturns one of the longest standing infant vaccination guidelines in the United States.

Below are some of the claims made by the panel, both sides, who debated the vaccine's need or unimportance for all infants. 

<h2>Hidden <span rel="noindex">Hepatitis B Infections</span> Make Risk Hard to Judge</h2>

<strong>Claim:<em> </em></strong><em>Several ACIP members questioned whether babies considered “low risk” truly need a hepatitis B shot at birth. But hepatitis B is not always easy to detect or trace.</em>

The virus spreads through bodily fluids such as blood, semen and vaginal fluids. It is also extremely resilient and can survive on surfaces for up to a week. Even tiny amounts of dried blood from everyday items like razors, toothbrushes or nail clippers can carry the virus.

Hepatitis B often has no symptoms for years. The CDC estimates that 640,000 adults in the United States live with chronic hepatitis B, and half do not know they are infected. This means that even if a mother tests negative during pregnancy, her newborn can still be exposed through family members or other caretakers. Before universal birth-dose vaccination began, only half of infected children under age ten had contracted the virus from their mothers at birth.

Because so many people are unaware of their infections, determining true risk is complicated.

<h2>The Vaccine Protects the Most Vulnerable: Newborns</h2>

<strong>Claim: </strong><em>Some committee members suggested that vaccinating all newborns mainly protects adults or others at higher risk.</em> 

That claim is misleading. The primary purpose of giving the shot at birth is to protect infants, who face the most severe long-term consequences of infection.

Hepatitis B attacks the liver. If an infant becomes infected, there is a very high chance the disease will progress into a chronic lifelong condition. About a quarter of those children eventually die prematurely from liver failure or liver cancer. While treatments exist to reduce complications, there is no cure.

Dr. James Campbell, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at the University of Maryland, reminded the committee that the vaccine strategy transformed public health outcomes. “We used to have 18,000 or 20,000 kids born with this every year, and a quarter of them would go on to develop liver cancer. We now have almost none,” he said.

<h2>Falling Infection Rates Show Vaccines Worked</h2>

<strong>Claim: </strong><em>Hepatitis B infections fell sharply after the birth-dose recommendation took effect. Before vaccination became routine, up to 300,000 Americans were infected annually. About 20,000 of those were children.</em>

Today, total annual cases have dropped to around 14,000. Among people under 19, chronic infections have reached extremely low levels. In 2022, the CDC documented only 252 new cases in this age group.

ACIP member Dr. H. Cody Meissner, who voted against changing the policy, argued that declining numbers do not justify easing precautions. “It is a mistake to say that because we are not seeing much disease, we can change the schedule,” he said. “If we do, hepatitis B infections will come back.”

<h2>The United States Is Not an Outlier</h2>

<strong>Claim: </strong><em>Some committee members compared U.S. policy to countries such as Denmark, which does not vaccinate all newborns.</em> 

However, the United States is far from alone in recommending a universal birth-dose. According to CDC data from September 2025, 116 out of 194 World Health Organization member countries recommend hepatitis B vaccination at birth.

Denmark does not include hepatitis B in its standard childhood schedule, but it has a centralized national health system, higher prenatal screening rates and less fragmented medical records. The United States lacks these structural advantages, which makes relying solely on maternal testing more challenging.

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Ever since the Trump administration has come to power, sentiments against vaccines have gone up. Many vaccine critiques have been handpicked by the anti-vaxxer HHS Secretary RFK Jr. as health officials. So it is no surprise that now the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) is now recommending that mothers who test negative for hepatitis B should discuss the need for the vaccine with their doctors. If parents choose to delay the birth dose, the first shot should be given at no earlier than two months of age. This is dropping the longstanding hepatitis B vaccine guideline that stated that every newborn receive the first dose of the hepatitis B vaccine shortly after birth. This recommendation, in place since 1991, was reversed on December 5 after a key CDC advisory committee voted to change the policy.This committee was appointed by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who dismissed all 17 previous members earlier this year. The shift in policy has triggered wide debate, especially in the medical community, because it overturns one of the longest standing infant vaccination guidelines in the United States.Below are some of the claims made by the panel, both sides, who debated the vaccine's need or unimportance for all infants. Hidden Hepatitis B Infections Make Risk Hard to JudgeClaim: Several ACIP members questioned whether babies considered “low risk” truly need a hepatitis B shot at birth. But hepatitis B is not always easy to detect or trace.The virus spreads through bodily fluids such as blood, semen and vaginal fluids. It is also extremely resilient and can survive on surfaces for up to a week. Even tiny amounts of dried blood from everyday items like razors, toothbrushes or nail clippers can carry the virus.Hepatitis B often has no symptoms for years. The CDC estimates that 640,000 adults in the United States live with chronic hepatitis B, and half do not know they are infected. This means that even if a mother tests negative during pregnancy, her newborn can still be exposed through family members or other caretakers. Before universal birth-dose vaccination began, only half of infected children under age ten had contracted the virus from their mothers at birth.Because so many people are unaware of their infections, determining true risk is complicated.The Vaccine Protects the Most Vulnerable: NewbornsClaim: Some committee members suggested that vaccinating all newborns mainly protects adults or others at higher risk. That claim is misleading. The primary purpose of giving the shot at birth is to protect infants, who face the most severe long-term consequences of infection.Hepatitis B attacks the liver. If an infant becomes infected, there is a very high chance the disease will progress into a chronic lifelong condition. About a quarter of those children eventually die prematurely from liver failure or liver cancer. While treatments exist to reduce complications, there is no cure.Dr. James Campbell, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at the University of Maryland, reminded the committee that the vaccine strategy transformed public health outcomes. “We used to have 18,000 or 20,000 kids born with this every year, and a quarter of them would go on to develop liver cancer. We now have almost none,” he said.Falling Infection Rates Show Vaccines WorkedClaim: Hepatitis B infections fell sharply after the birth-dose recommendation took effect. Before vaccination became routine, up to 300,000 Americans were infected annually. About 20,000 of those were children.Today, total annual cases have dropped to around 14,000. Among people under 19, chronic infections have reached extremely low levels. In 2022, the CDC documented only 252 new cases in this age group.ACIP member Dr. H. Cody Meissner, who voted against changing the policy, argued that declining numbers do not justify easing precautions. “It is a mistake to say that because we are not seeing much disease, we can change the schedule,” he said. “If we do, hepatitis B infections will come back.”The United States Is Not an OutlierClaim: Some committee members compared U.S. policy to countries such as Denmark, which does not vaccinate all newborns. However, the United States is far from alone in recommending a universal birth-dose. According to CDC data from September 2025, 116 out of 194 World Health Organization member countries recommend hepatitis B vaccination at birth.Denmark does not include hepatitis B in its standard childhood schedule, but it has a centralized national health system, higher prenatal screening rates and less fragmented medical records. The United States lacks these structural advantages, which makes relying solely on maternal testing more challenging.