Major US Advisory Committee to Vote on Changing Newborn Hepatitis B Vaccine Guideline
Following a hold-up and a particularly heated gathering, a government vaccine expert group was set to cast ballots on Friday regarding a potential change to the long-held guideline that each baby be immunized against hepatitis B.
Heated Debate and a Delayed Ballot
The first day of the meeting on Thursday was marked by heated debate over curbing eligibility to the hepatitis B vaccine for newborns and a resolution to postpone the decision by a day to allow panelists additional time to examine the language. The group, which advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on vaccination protocols, had twice before postponed.
“Is there any specific evidence of damage of giving this shot before 30 days? Or is this conjecture?” inquired one panel member.
In answer, another attendee stated, “There is scant proof about the enduring danger.”
Present Protocol and Likely Ramifications
The injection is currently recommended for every newborn within 24 hours of delivery to prevent infection of hepatitis B, which can lead to serious liver damage. It has been provided to 1.4 billion people for over thirty years.
The meeting in Atlanta presented no new evidence of harms caused by the vaccine. Authorities state any change to the current hepatitis B immunization timeline could have major and extensive consequences for childhood health in the United States.
Committee Makeup and Latest Shifts
The expert committee can only make recommendations to the director of the CDC. The panel's membership has experienced alterations in recent days, with the statement that the committee’s most recent chair would step down for an formal position and be succeeded by a cardiologist who has been questioning of other immunizations.
The board includes multiple vaccination critics who are in agreement with a aim to revamp – and potentially, in some cases, abolish – longstanding immunization guidelines.
