"A top-level vaccine panel in the United States government has voted to peel back guidance that newborn babies should receive a vaccine to shield against hepatitis B, a virus that can cause chronic liver problems. On Friday, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted eight to three to rescind the medical advice, which has helped make hepatitis B vaccines a routine part of post-natal care."
"Today is a defining moment for our country. We can no longer trust federal health authorities when it comes to vaccines, Michael Osterholm, the director of the University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, told the news agency Reuters. In voting to eliminate the universal birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine, ACIP ignored decades of evidence confirming its strong safety profile and effectiveness. Its decision will result in more hepatitis B infections and more people with chronic liver disease."
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted 8-3 to rescind guidance recommending a universal birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine for newborns. New guidance encourages parents without a history of hepatitis B infection to discuss vaccination with their healthcare providers, while continuing to recommend vaccination for infants born to hepatitis B-positive mothers. Medical experts and pharmaceutical companies condemned the change as dangerous and warned it may increase unvaccinated children. Critics cite decades of evidence supporting the vaccine's safety and effectiveness and predict more hepatitis B infections and chronic liver disease if uptake falls.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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