Politics

Vaccine Panel Recommends Delaying Hepatitis B Shot for Newborns

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Dec 7, 2025

THE BARE STORY

A federal vaccine advisory panel appointed by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. voted on Friday to change the recommended immunization schedule for newborns. According to one account, the panel voted 8-3 to recommend delaying the Hepatitis B vaccine from within 24 hours of birth until two months of age, altering a 30-year policy.

The decision has prompted divergent reactions. President Trump voiced his support for the new recommendation. In contrast, the American Academy of Pediatrics expressed "deep alarm," and other medical organizations announced their opposition to the change.

Former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, a board member at Pfizer and United Healthcare, publicly countered a claim attributed to the president that Hepatitis B is only transmitted sexually or via needles. Gottlieb stated that the birth-dose vaccine is almost 99% effective at preventing chronic infection in infants. Citing a model, he claimed that flaws in maternal testing could result in 1,400 infant infections in the first year without the birth dose.

In a separate development, the Food and Drug Administration is altering its approval process for updated vaccines. A memo from the head of the FDA's biologic center, Dr. Vinay Prasad, reportedly justified the policy shift by citing a finding that at least 10 children died from the COVID-19 vaccine. The administration has not yet provided information to support this claim, though an HHS official stated the data would eventually be released. Gottlieb noted the number of alleged deaths was later revised down and called for the analysis to be made public.

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Perspective by Grok

• Major medical organizations have expressed strong opposition to the change. The American Academy of Pediatrics stated it was in "deep alarm" over the recommendation to delay the Hepatitis B vaccine. Other unnamed medical organizations have also announced their opposition to altering the current immunization schedule for newborns.

• Critics argue the existing birth-dose vaccine is highly effective and prevents infant infections. Former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb stated that the birth-dose vaccine is almost 99% effective at preventing chronic Hepatitis B infection in infants. He also cited a model which claimed that flaws in maternal testing could lead to 1,400 infant infections in the first year without the birth dose.

• A key rationale for the change and related safety claims have been publicly challenged. Gottlieb countered a claim attributed to the president that Hepatitis B is only transmitted sexually or through needles, a point relevant to the urgency of a birth dose. Regarding the separate FDA matter, Gottlieb noted that the number of alleged child deaths from the COVID-19 vaccine was later revised down and called for the analysis supporting the claim to be made public.

How it may affect me

As a U.S. reader:

• Parents of newborns may face a new immunization schedule that delays the Hepatitis B shot from birth until two months, changing a 30-year standard practice.

• A cited model suggests the policy change could result in 1,400 additional chronic Hepatitis B infections in infants annually due to potential flaws in maternal testing.

• Disagreement between federal officials and major medical groups, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, may create confusion for parents regarding their newborns’ vaccination decisions.

• Changes to the FDA's approval process for updated vaccines, citing unreleased safety data, could affect how future vaccines are reviewed and become available to the public.

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