Key US Expert Group to Vote on Modifying Newborn Hepatitis B Vaccine Recommendation
Following a hold-up and a remarkably divisive meeting, a government vaccine expert group was set to cast ballots on Friday on whether to change the longstanding recommendation that each baby be immunized against hepatitis B.
Heated Debate and a Postponed Decision
The first day of the conference on Thursday was marked by fiery discussion over limiting availability to the hepatitis B vaccine for babies and a decision to defer the vote by a day to allow panelists additional time to review the wording. The group, which guides the CDC on vaccine use, had twice before postponed.
“Is there any concrete proof of damage of giving this immunization before 30 days? Or is this theory?” inquired one panel member.
In response, another member stated, “There is inadequate data about the enduring danger.”
Existing Recommendations and Potential Impact
The shot is presently advised for each baby within 24 hours of being born to halt contraction of hepatitis B, which can result in major damage to the liver. It has been administered to over a billion individuals for more than three decades.
The Georgia assembly provided no fresh data of damage attributable to the vaccine. Authorities state any alteration to the existing hepatitis B vaccination schedule could have major and extensive implications for infant and child health in the United States.
Committee Makeup and Latest Shifts
The expert committee can only make recommendations to the head of the CDC. The panel's membership has undergone changes this week, with the declaration that the panel's latest chairman would leave for an agency job and be replaced by a cardiologist who has been questioning of other immunizations.
The panel includes several immunization doubters who align with a goal to reform – and potentially, in some cases, scrap – traditional immunization guidelines.
