Skip to playerSkip to main content
  • 9 hours ago
Transcript
00:00Panel Votes on Hepatitis B Vaccine Schedule
00:03The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices
00:09has voted to revise long-standing guidance on the hepatitis B vaccine for newborns.
00:14In an 8-3 decision, the panel recommended that only infants born to mothers who test positive for hepatitis B
00:21or whose status is unknown should receive the vaccine at birth.
00:25This marks a significant shift from the decades-old policy advising universal newborn vaccination.
00:31The recommendation drew public support from President Donald J. Trump,
00:35who also signed a memorandum directing a broader review of the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule.
00:41Trump stated that current immunization guidelines include a high number of doses compared with other countries
00:46and argued that the schedule should undergo a scientific reassessment.
00:50The discussion has intensified debate among public health experts, parents, and policymakers.
00:56While some view the new ACIP recommendation as a move toward individualized care,
01:01others are concerned about the potential public health effects of reducing universal vaccination at birth,
01:07a strategy originally designed to prevent the spread of hepatitis B from undetected maternal infections.
01:12The memorandum also places Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
01:17at the center of an upcoming review of childhood vaccines.
01:21Kennedy has previously criticized certain aspects of vaccine policy,
01:25and his involvement has drawn both support and concern from different sectors of the medical and scientific community.
01:31The administration has already implemented several other vaccine-related policy changes,
01:36including updated COVID-19 vaccine guidance for children and recommending certain vaccines be spaced apart.
01:43Officials have also signaled openness to re-examining long-standing scientific questions,
01:48though no conclusions have been announced.
01:51The revised hepatitis B guidance reflects an ongoing national conversation about vaccine policy,
01:56scientific reassessment, and parental concerns.
01:59The forthcoming review of the childhood vaccine schedule is expected to draw significant public attention
02:05as federal health agencies consider additional updates.
Be the first to comment
Add your comment

Recommended