On December 5, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted to drop the recommendation for a universal birth hepatitis B vaccine dose and replaced it with a recommendation that the first hepatitis B vaccine should be delayed until two months of age for infants born to mothers who test negative for the virus. 

Under the recommendations, only infants born to mothers who test positive for hepatitis B or whose status is unknown would still receive the birth dose. Additionally, ACIP voted that subsequent vaccine doses should be evaluated after anti-HBs serology testing, moving away from a recommendation for the full three-dose series.

If approved by CDC Acting Director Jim O’Neil, ACIP’s recommendation would overturn the decades-old universal hepatitis B birth dose. 

Reversing the current universal birth dose recommendation runs counter to scientific evidence and would lead to a significant long-term increase in the number of adults with chronic hepatitis B infections, resulting in more cases of liver cancer, cirrhosis, and preventable deaths in future decades.

ACOI members are encouraged to make their voices heard on this important public health issue.

Tell Health and Human Services Secretary Kennedy, Acting Director O'Neil and your members of Congress that the universal hepatitis B birth dose must be maintained.  

Take action by posting on X, which can be completed quickly and easily through the ACOI Action Center.  When you enter your address in the fields to the right of your screen, a post for X will be created and automatically tag Secretary Kennedy and your members of Congress.