Vaccine advisers to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) voted Friday morning to limit hepatitis B vaccines decisive movement signaling Trump administrationA regressive US approach to vaccines that have been used safely and effectively for decades.
What Just Happened to Hepatitis B Vaccine Policy?
A panel of official vaccine advisers to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended limiting the use of the hepatitis B vaccine, which is typically given at birth, in an unprecedented decision.
Instead of giving all parents the opportunity to vaccinate their newborns, advisers now recommend that parents talk to their doctor to find out if their newborn is eligible for the vaccine.
Who is allowed to get vaccinated now?
Parents can request a vaccine for their baby after birth, and they should consult with their doctor to see if they should get the vaccine. After this, the vaccine should not be given until two months of age or later, advisers now suggest.
Why is this so important?
For the first time, CDC advisers have limited access to routine vaccinations that have been offered for decades. A few months ago, they also voted to separate a vaccine that combines measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) and varicella (chickenpox), recommending instead that the two vaccines be administered separately.
What does this mean for newborns and maternal health?
It will be harder to access vaccinations: Hospitals may run out of doses if they think parents won't ask for them, and pediatricians may be wary of giving shots before two months of age. Discussion and confusion around requirements can also lead parents and doctors to refuse vaccinations entirely.
What is the “shared clinical decision making” that will now govern most access?
It is not a clear or common term. This essentially makes the vaccine optional rather than a standard part of official vaccination recommendations. It only applied to five vaccines in the past – usually when vaccines do not require a full recommendation. When Covid vaccine recommendations switched to this pattern, families and health care providers were confused and unsure about the changes. Insurers do not always cover such vaccinations.
Will health insurance still cover this?
Private insurance, like the one you get through your employer, will likely pay for the vaccine anyway. But it's unclear whether federal programs will cover the vaccine before two months of age if parents are unable to get one at birth.
Why is hepatitis B vaccination so important and why is it usually given to newborns?
Hepatitis B is most dangerous for children infected in the first year of life. If a baby gets sick before one year of age, he or she has a 90% chance of developing a chronic infection, which can lead to serious long-term problems such as cirrhosis, liver cancer and death. Only about 5% of adults who get hepatitis B develop a chronic infection. Since 1990, when the hepatitis B vaccine was offered to all newborns, the number of reported cases of the disease in children has dropped by 99%, from 20,000 to about 20 today due to the vaccine.
Is there new information about the safety of the vaccine?
No no. Vaccines are extremely safe and have been given to more than a billion people worldwide over three decades without any major safety concerns. Presenters at the CDC meeting did not provide any additional safety data.
What are the dangers of the vaccine, according to skeptics?
Skeptics, including speakers and some advisers at the CDC meeting, worry about links between vaccines and chronic diseases such as allergies and eczema, or neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism. Numerous studies have found no evidence of a link between vaccines and these conditions.
What is the danger when vaccine after vaccine is attacked?
These changes are upending decades of evidence on recommendations. By targeting a proven, safe and effective vaccine, it sets a precedent for any vaccines to be questioned and sows doubt in the public.
