RFK Jr.'s vaccine panel considers changing hepatitis B birth dose schedule
ACIP voted 8-3 to recommend parents decide with doctors whether to give hepatitis B vaccine at birth or delay until 2 months for infants born to hepatitis B-negative mothers.
Objective Facts
The CDC's ACIP panel voted 8-3 on December 5, 2025, to recommend parents should discuss with their doctors whether to give the hepatitis B vaccine at birth or delay until 2 months of age for infants born to mothers who tested negative for the virus. The previous recommendation in place since 1991 was that all babies receive the vaccine at birth. Over that time, hepatitis B infections among infants and children have dropped 99%. The recommendation must be endorsed by Acting CDC Director Jim O'Neill or Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. before becoming part of the CDC vaccination schedule. The American Academy of Pediatrics and many other medical experts opposed the change, saying it will leave children at risk of an incurable infection.
Left-Leaning Perspective
Rep. Robert Garcia, the Ranking Member of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, condemned what he called Secretary Kennedy's "radical takeover" of HHS, demanding answers about the decision to remove the universal recommendation for hepatitis B vaccination at birth. Garcia argued that removing the universal recommendation fuels vaccine skepticism by implying the vaccine may be dangerous for infants, when the reality is that the universal dose has saved tens of thousands of children's lives. The Democratic Doctors Caucus stated the decision was made without scientific justification and will lead to more disease, cancer, preventable deaths, and increased healthcare costs. Most Democratic-led states announced they will continue to universally recommend hepatitis B vaccination at birth, with the Northeast Public Health Collaborative and West Coast Health Alliance explicitly rejecting the ACIP guidance and forming regional coalitions in response to what they view as Kennedy's systematic dismantling of vaccine protections. Dr. William Schaffner, a Vanderbilt University vaccine expert involved with ACIP for decades, said "This is the group that can't shoot straight." Dr. Peter Hotez of the Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development declined to present before the group "because ACIP appears to have shifted its mission away from science and evidence-based medicine." Stanford infectious disease specialist Yvonne Maldonado, a former ACIP member, said "Almost every statement made by this committee was misinformation, disinformation, or outright lies" and "They are cherry-picking data, pulling up fringe papers, misunderstanding good papers." Left-leaning coverage emphasizes that the presentations came from vaccine-skeptical figures including climate scientist Cynthia Nevison and businessperson Mark Blaxill, who were co-authors of a retracted autism study, sports medicine doctor Tracy Beth Høeg, and others, painting a picture that the hepatitis B birth dose wasn't necessary and might be dangerous despite scientific consensus to the contrary. Democratic coverage omits or downplays that some ACIP members cited parental concerns and European practices, instead focusing on accusations of ideological capture of the panel.
Right-Leaning Perspective
FDA Commissioner Marty Makary argued the evidence does not support a universal birth dose for hepatitis B, stating parents should be able to wait until children are 8, 10, or 12 years old if they prefer, and that there is no scientific evidence of harm from such delay. Acting CDC Director Jim O'Neill stated the recommendation "reflects ACIP's rigorous review of the available evidence" and that they are "restoring the balance of informed consent to parents whose newborns face little risk of contracting hepatitis B." Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican physician whose votes were critical to Kennedy's confirmation and whose medical practice focused on hepatitis B, nevertheless called the change "a mistake," stating he had treated patients with hepatitis B for decades. Cassidy posted that before the birth dose was recommended 20,000 newborns per year were infected with hepatitis B while now it is fewer than 20, and ending the recommendation makes cases likely to increase again, making "America sicker." Cassidy also criticized Kennedy's former lawyer Aaron Siri, who presented at the ACIP meeting, saying Siri is "a trial attorney who makes his living suing vaccine manufacturers" but "is presenting as if an expert on childhood vaccines." No fresh safety concerns or effectiveness issues prompted ACIP to reconsider the birth dose; instead panelists cited parents concerned about the shot, that most European countries delay the vaccine, and the length of time since ACIP last reviewed the topic. Right-leaning coverage emphasizes these stated rationales and the principle of parental choice rather than addressing whether the scientific evidence supports changing a 30-year policy.
Deep Dive
The December 5, 2025 vote represents a historic shift in U.S. vaccine policy. For over three decades, starting in 1991, pediatricians and public health officials had universally recommended hepatitis B vaccination within 24 hours of birth based on epidemiological evidence that this strategy nearly eliminated the disease in children. The virus, which can be transmitted from mother to child during delivery or through casual contact with infected bodily fluids, carries a 90% risk of chronic infection if contracted by an infant. Cases among children fell 99% since 1991, and CDC analysis estimated the vaccination program prevented more than 6 million infections and nearly 1 million hospitalizations. However, Kennedy fired all 17 ACIP members in June and replaced them with a group that includes several anti-vaccine voices. No fresh safety concerns or effectiveness issues prompted the reconsideration; instead panelists cited parental concerns, European practices, and the time elapsed since last review. The left's position rests on epidemiological experience and institutional concerns about panel capture. Former ACIP member Yvonne Maldonado stated "Almost every statement made by this committee was misinformation, disinformation, or outright lies" and "They are cherry-picking data, pulling up fringe papers, misunderstanding good papers." A Vaccine Integrity Project review of over 400 studies found no evidence of short- or long-term health problems from hepatitis B shot after birth, reviewed by major medical societies. However, the left may underappreciate legitimate parental choice arguments and international variation in hepatitis B strategies. The U.S. is not a global outlier; 116 of 194 WHO member states recommend universal hepatitis B birth dose vaccination. The right's emphasis on parental autonomy and avoiding unnecessary medical interventions on healthy newborns resonates with some families, though it rests partly on FDA Commissioner Makary's assertion that delaying vaccination poses no evidence-based harm—a claim disputed by established epidemiological data. CDC hepatitis specialist Adam Langer noted that clinical studies of approved vaccines tested a three-shot regimen, and stopping at one or two doses based on antibody testing would be unsupported by existing data. What remains unresolved: whether Acting CDC Director O'Neill will formally adopt the recommendation, and whether Democratic-led states' refusal to implement the guidance will fragment national vaccine policy.