The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has officially changed its recommendation regarding hepatitis B vaccinations for newborns. The agency now advises that women who test negative for the hepatitis B virus consult with healthcare providers to determine if their infants should receive the first dose of the vaccine within 24 hours of birth. This decision, made by the CDC's vaccine advisory committee, marks a departure from the longstanding recommendation that all newborns receive the vaccine at birth, a policy in place since 1991.

Acting CDC Director Jim O’Neill accepted the committee's recommendation, stating that the change aims to restore informed consent for parents of newborns who are at low risk of contracting hepatitis B. The new guidance suggests that if newborns do not receive the birth dose, their first hepatitis B vaccination can be delayed until they are at least 2 months old. However, the CDC continues to recommend that infants born to mothers who test positive for hepatitis B or whose infection status is unknown receive the vaccine within the first day of life.

The decision has drawn criticism from many public health experts, who argue that delaying the hepatitis B vaccine could lead to an increase in infections and associated health complications, including liver disease and cancer. Pediatric cases of acute hepatitis B have significantly decreased since the universal birth dose recommendation was implemented, with a reported 99% reduction from 1990 to 2019. Hepatitis B can be transmitted from mother to child during delivery, and not all pregnant women are tested for the virus.

Senator Bill Cassidy, a liver specialist, expressed concern that the new recommendation could result in a resurgence of hepatitis B cases, stating that it could negatively impact public health. Despite the CDC's new guidance, pediatricians are expected to continue recommending the hepatitis B vaccine for newborns. The Department of Health and Human Services has indicated that insurance coverage for the vaccine will remain unaffected, and it will still be available to newborns through the Vaccines for Children Program, which provides free vaccinations for uninsured or underinsured children.

This policy change is part of a broader trend of CDC recommendations diverging from established medical consensus. Critics have pointed to misinformation and selective data in the advisory committee's discussions, which have raised concerns about the reliability of the agency's guidance. The recent changes follow a significant overhaul of the CDC's vaccine advisory panel, which was reconstituted under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. after the dismissal of previous members. O’Neill, who has a background in investment rather than medicine, became acting director after the abrupt firing of the previous director, Susan Monarez, who had reportedly resisted pressure to approve the new recommendations without sufficient evidence.

In recent months, the CDC has also made other controversial changes, including altering statements about vaccines and their potential links to autism, despite extensive research disproving such connections. As a result, some states are beginning to rely more on recommendations from professional medical organizations, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, which continues to advocate for the timely administration of the hepatitis B vaccine.