Newborn Hep B Vaccine Vote Postponed — ACIP Retreats, Leaving Questions Hanging
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has postponed a critical vote that could end the long-held recommendation to give all newborns the Hep B vaccine at birth. If approved tomorrow, the new policy would leave the decision to parents for infants born to hepatitis-negative mothers — delaying the first dose until around two months old while keeping birth doses for higher-risk infants. The move signals a major shift in U.S. vaccination guidelines, raising profound questions about how safety is evaluated and parent choice weighed.