"In an 8-3 decision, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP, voted to abandon the universal hepatitis B birth dose recommendation for newborns, ending a decades-old advisement for infants to receive their first dose within 24 hours of birth. The decision cements a longtime goal of the anti-vax movement. They voted instead for individual-based decision-making, in consultation with a health care provider, for parents deciding when or if to give the HBV vaccine."
"The high-stakes meeting, which could have profound implications for the future of childhood immunizations in the United States, has been widely condemned as the latest example of Kennedy's war on vaccines through mass firings, promotion of dangerous, unscientific claims on official government websites, and staff upheaval. It's the committee's third meeting since Kennedy fired all 17 members of ACIP and installed allies more likely to support anti-vaccine changes at the agency."
The ACIP voted 8-3 to end the longstanding recommendation that all newborns receive the hepatitis B vaccine within 24 hours of birth, replacing that guidance with individualized parental decision-making in consultation with health care providers. Infants of people who test positive for hepatitis B or whose status is unknown should still receive the vaccine at birth. The change is characterized as a victory for the anti-vaccine movement and follows the firing and replacement of ACIP members. The CDC acting director has expressed skepticism of some public health measures, and the decision could reduce childhood immunization uptake and weaken community protection.
Read at www.esquire.com
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