🔗 Share this article Key US Panel to Vote on Changing Baby Hepatitis B Vaccine Guideline Following a postponement and an unusually contentious session, a government vaccine expert group was set to cast ballots on Friday concerning altering the long-held guideline that all newborns be inoculated against hepatitis B. Heated Debate and a Deferred Vote The first day of the assembly on Thursday was characterized by fiery discussion over restricting access to the hepatitis B vaccine for newborns and a decision to delay the ballot by a day to allow panelists additional time to review the wording. The committee, which advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on vaccination protocols, had put off the vote twice in the past. “Is there any specific evidence of injury of giving this immunization before 30 days? Or is this theory?” asked one committee member. In reply, another member stated, “There is scant proof about the long-term risk.” Current Guidelines and Likely Ramifications The shot is currently recommended for every newborn within 24 hours of birth to halt contraction of hepatitis B, which can lead to significant hepatic injury. It has been administered to over a billion individuals for more than three decades. The meeting in Atlanta presented no recent proof of harms caused by the vaccine. Authorities state any alteration to the current hepatitis B immunization timeline could have major and extensive consequences for childhood health in the United States. Committee Makeup and New Appointments The expert committee can only offer guidance to the leader of the CDC. The committee's composition has undergone changes this week, with the declaration that the group's former head would depart for an official role and be replaced by a heart specialist who has been skeptical about other vaccines. The committee includes a number of vaccine skeptics who are in agreement with a aim to revamp – and perhaps, in some cases, scrap – longstanding vaccine advisories.