U.S. CDC's advisory committee votes to drop universal Hepatitis B birth-dose

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)'s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted on Friday to end the long-standing recommendation that all newborns receive a Hepatitis B vaccine dose shortly after birth.



The committee voted 8-3 in favor of removing the universal birth-dose recommendation for infants under two months old.



Under the revised guidance, for infants born to mothers who test negative for the Hepatitis B virus (HBV), parents are advised to make vaccination decisions in consultation with a health care provider, including whether and when to administer the birth dose. For infants who do not receive the vaccine at birth, the first dose is recommended no earlier than two months of age.



The decision was approved despite strong objections from numerous medical and public health organizations, which warned that the universal birth dose has been a key component of a successful strategy that has nearly eliminated HBV transmission among children in the United States.



The decision sparked strong criticism from medical groups. More than 40 leading medical, health and patient-advocacy groups issued a joint statement condemning the vote.