Major US Expert Group to Vote on Altering Baby Hepatitis B Vaccine Recommendation
Following a delay and a remarkably divisive meeting, a government vaccine expert group was expected to vote on Friday on whether to change the longstanding recommendation that every infant be vaccinated against hepatitis B.
Intense Discussion and a Delayed Ballot
The first day of the conference on Thursday was defined by heated debate over curbing eligibility to the hepatitis B vaccine for babies and a choice to delay the ballot by a day to allow panelists additional time to scrutinize the phrasing. The committee, which counsels the CDC on vaccine use, had previously delayed on two occasions.
“Is there any concrete proof of damage of giving this immunization before 30 days? Or is this conjecture?” questioned one panel member.
In answer, another participant stated, “There is inadequate data about the long-term risk.”
Existing Recommendations and Possible Consequences
The vaccine is currently recommended for all infants within 24 hours of being born to stop transmission of hepatitis B, which can result in serious liver damage. It has been provided to 1.4 billion people for over thirty years.
The meeting in Atlanta presented no recent proof of injuries resulting from the vaccine. Experts say any alteration to the existing hepatitis B vaccination schedule could have profound and widespread repercussions for infant and child health in the United States.
Committee Makeup and Recent Changes
The consultative group can only make recommendations to the leader of the CDC. The committee's composition has undergone changes in recent days, with the announcement that the committee’s most recent chair would depart for an agency job and be replaced by a heart specialist who has been questioning of other vaccines.
The panel includes several immunization doubters who align with a desire to overhaul – and possibly, in some cases, scrap – long-established immunization guidelines.
