Health experts breathed a sigh of relief as members of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s vaccine panel voted to maintain current guidance on a vaccine that has been recommended for children for decades.
For nearly 35 years, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended the first dose of hepatitis B vaccine be given within 24 hours of birth.
On Sept. 19, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted to table a vote that would have recommended that first dose be delayed until at least one month after birth for babies who are born to mothers who test negative for hepatitis B.
During the Sept. 18 meeting, the panel voted to no longer recommend the MMRV vaccine for children under 4 years old. Although members had initially voted to continue covering the vaccines for children under 4 under the Vaccines for Children program, which provides vaccines to children whose parents or guardians may not be able to afford them, they revoted to take away that coverage the next day.
Hepatitis B is a viral infection that affects the liver, according to the CDC.
Most adults recover completely from the highly contagious infection. But about 90% of infants and 30% of children who are infected between ages 1 and 5 will develop a lifelong infection that can lead to severe liver damage, liver cancer or death, the agency said.
The hepatitis B virus is transmitted through blood, semen or other body fluids. Most cases occur through sexual contact or through needle sharing by intravenous drug users, said Dr. Philip Huang, director of the Dallas County Health and Human Services.
One of the arguments against the hepatitis B vaccine birth dose is that newborns don’t encounter those risk factors, but “they’re neglecting the mother-to-baby transmission at childbirth, which is another important thing,” he said.
More: RFK Jr. announces plans to shut down Florida organ transplant group citing safety issues
Most people with hepatitis B don’t experience any symptoms when they’re newly infected, Huang said. So, the birth dose is intended to prevent disease in newborns in cases where the mother is unaware she might be carrying the virus.
ACIP members are also slated to vote on guidance regarding who is recommended to get a COVID-19 shot this fall, following months of confusion over vaccine access and coverage.
In August, the Food and Drug Administration approved updated COVID-19 shots only for those over 65 and people with existing health problems this fall.
Despite the approval, several states have issued their own guidance about COVID-19 vaccines. California, Oregon and Washington have created their own advisory council that will release its own vaccine recommendations for the West Coast. States like Colorado, Pennsylvania, New York and Minnesota, among others, have also issued guidance or signed executive orders regarding vaccines.
Health insurance companies have also vowed to cover the COVID-19 vaccines “with no cost-sharing for patients through the end of 2026,” according to America’s Health Insurance Plans.
Adrianna can be reached at adrodriguez@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: RFK Jr vaccine panel delays pivotal hepatitis B vote in shake-up
