CDC Advisers Postpone Vote on Changing Newborn Hepatitis B Shot
Federal vaccine advisers delayed a vote after some members said they needed more time to review proposed language that would limit the universal hepatitis B birth dose. The decision could reshape decades long newborn immunization practice and raises concerns that access to a key preventive vaccine could be reduced.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory committee postponed a scheduled vote on December 4, 2025 after members said they required additional time to examine proposed changes to guidance for the hepatitis B vaccine given at birth. The proposal, advanced by advisers appointed by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., would curb the current universal birth dose recommendation by suggesting parental consultation and targeted testing in some cases, a significant departure from decades long federal guidance.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, known as ACIP, stopped short of adopting the new language during a meeting that exposed divisions within the panel and prompted fresh scrutiny of recent alterations to federal vaccine advisory structures. Committee members told colleagues they were confused by the wording of the motion and needed more time to review documents and potential ramifications before casting formal votes.
For more than two decades the CDC has recommended a hepatitis B vaccine dose for newborns to prevent perinatal transmission of the virus from infected mothers. Public health experts at hospitals and clinics have long viewed the birth dose as a critical, timely intervention to protect infants who might otherwise be exposed at delivery. Health officials and clinicians said the current universal approach simplifies implementation and ensures broad protection during the vulnerable newborn period.
Public health specialists warned that narrowing the guidance could create barriers to access. Recommending parental consultation and testing before administering the vaccine could introduce delays, require new clinical logistics at maternity wards, and make uptake dependent on parental choice or the availability of rapid testing. Experts cautioned that such obstacles risk increasing preventable infant infections and undermining longstanding efforts to reduce hepatitis B transmission.
The committee did not set a new date for a vote during the session. Members signaled they would return to the issue only after additional review and clarification of the proposed language. The postponement came amid heightened attention to the composition of the advisory panel, which has seen a number of recent appointments by the health secretary that critics argue have shifted the committee’s balance and priorities.
Advocates for maintaining the universal birth dose stressed the practical benefits of a one time newborn intervention that does not rely on prenatal screening in every case. Supporters of the proposed change argued it would allow more individualized decision making and prioritize parental involvement. The meeting, however, made clear that procedural and substantive questions remain unresolved.
The delay ensures more debate and scrutiny before any change to practice is recommended to clinicians and hospitals. For now the longstanding CDC endorsement of a universal hepatitis B birth dose remains in effect while ACIP members continue their deliberations. The outcome will have immediate implications for neonatal care protocols and broader consequences for public confidence in federal immunization advice.
