Rfk Jr’s Vaccine Panel Drops Plan For Vote On Newborn Hepatitis B Shots

A revamped sheet of US vaccine advisers appointed by wellness caput Robert F Kennedy Jr connected Friday decided not to spell up pinch a planned ballot that would person delayed nan first hepatitis B vaccine dose for newborns, citing inconsistency successful nan projected argumentation changes.

It was not clear really nan committee would proceed connected nan rumor going forward.

The group, which advises nan Centers for Disease Control and Prevention connected US vaccination schedules, connected Thursday discussed changing nan nation’s much than three-decades-old proposal that babies person nan changeable astatine birth, which has led to a melodramatic alteration successful rates of nan disease.

While galore committee members appeared to support nan alteration during that discussion, aesculapian experts and diligent advocates warned during nan nationalist remark play that it would time off infants susceptible to disease.

Some committee members early Friday raised caller concerns astir immoderate of nan information CDC presented and wanted to widen nan recommendations from 1 period to 2 to 3 months. During Thursday’s discussion, it was not clear really nan 1 period criterion had been chosen.

Dr Catherine Troisi, infectious illness epidemiologist astatine UTHealth Houston, said nan US birth-dose argumentation drove a 97% diminution successful acute hepatitis B among Americans nether 19.

Panel considers changes to Covid vaccine recommendations

The sheet did, however, ballot unanimously to urge cosmopolitan hepatitis B testing for each pregnant women. The gathering will besides later see updates to Covid-19 vaccine guidance.

The votes came arsenic nan Advisory Committee connected Immunization Practices (ACIP) reconvened for a 2nd time of meetings that person highlighted heavy divisions complete nan early of US immunization schedules nether Kennedy, who has agelong promoted claims astir vaccine harms that tally contrary to technological evidence.

On Thursday, nan sheet rejected usage of nan mixed measles-mumps-rubella-varicella changeable successful children nether four, citing a mini summation successful seizure risk, opting alternatively for abstracted doses.

Committee personnel explains use v consequence calculation

CDC experts presenting astatine nan gathering person defended nan longstanding argumentation of giving hepatitis B vaccine wrong 24 hours of birth, noting that 12% to 16% of pregnant women successful nan US person nary grounds of hepatitis B testing.

Pediatrician Dr Cody Meissner, a sheet member, warned that delaying nan commencement dose could “increase nan consequence of harm based connected nary grounds of benefit”. He added that while nary vaccine is wholly risk-free aliases afloat effective, clinicians must measurement nan benefits against imaginable broadside effects.

“For nan newborn hepatitis B vaccine, location is nary uncertainty nan protective benefits acold outweigh immoderate imaginable risks,” Meissner said.

The ACIP, reconstituted this twelvemonth by Kennedy, includes respective members who person antecedently raised concerns astir routine vaccines. Kennedy has besides steered broader argumentation shifts: cutting regular Covid-19 shots for children and pregnant women and halting astir $500m successful mRNA projects. Five of nan members began their position connected Monday.