Since
Robert
F.
Kennedy
Jr.
—
a
known
vaccine
skeptic
—
was
appointed
as
Secretary
of
Health
and
Human
Services
in
February,
it
was
only
a
matter
of
time
before
he
took
steps
to
loosen
requirements
around
vaccines.
In
June,
he
removed
all
members
of
the
Advisory
Committee
on
Immunization
Practices
(ACIP),
an
expert
panel
that
makes
vaccine
recommendations,
and
replaced
them
with
several
vaccine
critics.
In
September,
ACIP
changed
its
recommendations
for
measles,
mumps,
rubella
and
varicella
to
stop
recommending
the
combined
vaccine
before
the
age
of
4
years.
Now,
ACIP
is
proposing
to
roll-back
guidance
for
hepatitis
B
that
has
been
in
effect
for
more
than
30
years.
Last
week,
ACIP
voted
8-3
to
recommend
“individual-based
decision-making
for
parents
deciding
whether
to
give
the
hepatitis
B
vaccine,
including
the
birth
dose,
to
infants
born
to
women
who
test
negative
for
the
virus,”
according
to
a
news
release
from
the
CDC.
For
those
not
receiving
the
birth
dose,
ACIP
suggested
receiving
the
initial
dose
“no
earlier”
than
two
months.
Hepatitis
B
is
a
contagious
virus
that
infects
the
liver
and
is
a
leading
cause
of
liver
cancer.
It
is
transmitted
through
blood
and
bodily
fluids.
Since
1991,
when
the
CDC
recommended
the
vaccination
for
all
newborns,
infections
in
children
and
teens
have
fallen
by
99%.
This
recommendation
has
led
to
an
outcry
from
many
in
the
medical
industry,
including
organizations
like
the
American
Medical
Association,
the
American
Academy
of
Pediatrics
and
the
National
Foundation
for
Infectious
Diseases.
The
latter
organization
told
MedCity
News
that
ACIP’s
guidance
could
lead
to
as
many
as
1,400
additional
infections
and
480
deaths
every
year,
and
expressed
concern
about
the
potential
implications
for
other
vaccines.
“The
U.S.
childhood
and
adolescent
immunization
schedule
is
built
on
decades
of
data
demonstrating
the
effectiveness
of
vaccines
that
have
resulted
in
dramatic
reductions
in
diseases
such
as
pneumonia,
measles,
diphtheria,
and
polio.
…These
vaccines
are
not
perfect,
but
they
have
a
strong
record
of
safety
and
cause
FAR
fewer
adverse
effects,
compared
with
the
lives
they
save
and
disability
they
prevent,”
said
Robert
H.
Hopkins,
Jr.,
MD,
medical
director
of
the
National
Foundation
for
Infectious
Diseases,
in
an
email.
He
added
that
recent
declines
in
vaccinations
have
already
led
to
outbreaks,
including
the
highest
number
of
measles
cases
since
it
was
declared
eliminated
in
2000
and
a
six-fold
increase
in
whooping
cough
in
2024.
Dr.
Georges
Benjamin,
executive
director
of
the
American
Public
Health
Association,
worries
about
all
other
vaccines
after
ACIP’s
recommendations
on
hepatitis
B
vaccines.
“We’re
going
to
see
more
and
more
people
questioning
safety
and
efficacy
for
a
whole
range
of
vaccines,”
he
said
in
an
interview.
“We’re
going
to
see
more
measles
outbreaks,
more
pertussis
outbreaks,
in
addition
to
hepatitis.
We’ve
got
an
enormous
outbreak
occurring
in
South
Carolina
right
now
with
measles,
and
then
we’ve
had
kids
that
have
died
from
both
measles
and
pertussis
recently.
These
are
preventable
deaths.
They
were,
I
believe,
in
all
unvaccinated
kids.”
According
to
the
CDC,
there
have
been
three
confirmed
deaths
from
measles
in
2025.
Two
of
these
cases
were
children,
and
neither
were
vaccinated,
Politico
reported.
There
have
been
13
deaths
from
pertussis
in
2025,
according
to
the
Pan
American
Health
Association.
Data
is
not
available
on
how
many
of
those
deaths
were
in
people
who
were
unvaccinated
but
take
Louisiana
for
instance.
The
two
deaths
it
experienced
this
year
were
its
first
since
2018
amid
an
overall
fall
in
childhood
vaccinations.
The
recommendation
Specifically,
when
ACIP
recommends
“individual-based
decision-making,”
it
means
that
parents
and
healthcare
providers
should
consider
vaccine
benefits,
vaccine
risks
and
infection
risks,
and
parents
should
consult
with
their
healthcare
provider,
according
to
the
announcement.
For
example,
parents
and
providers
should
consider
whether
there
are
infection
risks
from
a
household
member
with
hepatitis
B,
or
if
there
is
frequent
contact
with
someone
who
emigrated
from
areas
with
high
hepatitis
B
rates.
In
addition,
ACIP
advised
that
when
deciding
if
a
child
needs
another
hepatitis
B
vaccine
dose,
parents
should
talk
with
their
healthcare
provider
about
whether
to
check
the
child’s
antibody
levels
to
make
sure
they’re
protected.
Despite
these
recommendations,
hepatitis
B
vaccinations
will
continue
to
be
covered,
including
under
federal
programs
like
Medicaid
and
Medicare,
as
well
as
plans
under
the
Marketplace.
AHIP
said
back
in
September
that
“health
plans
will
continue
to
cover
all
ACIP-recommended
immunizations
that
were
recommended
as
of
September
1,
2025,
including
updated
formulations
of
the
Covid-19
and
influenza
vaccines,
with
no
cost-sharing
for
patients
through
the
end
of
2026.”
ACIP
provided
this
guidance
after
hearing
presentations
on
hepatitis
B
and
vaccine
safety
and
briefings
from
vaccine
manufacturer
representatives.
One
of
the
presentations
was
from
Cynthia
Nevison,
Ph.D.,
a
climate
researcher,
on
hepatitis
B
disease
burden
since
1985.
The
presentation
suggested
that
the
universal
hepatitis
B
birth
dose
has
had
only
a
small
effect
on
reducing
acute
cases.
In
addition,
she
explained
that
57.9%
of
estimated
births
to
women
who
test
positive
for
the
hepatitis
B
surface
antigen
are
attributable
to
non-U.S.-born
women.
Another
presentation
was
from
ACIP
Childhood/Adolescent
Schedule
Workgroup
Chair
Vicky
Pebsworth,
Ph.D.,
RN,
who
noted
that
the
U.S.
remains
an
outlier
among
low-prevalence
developed
countries
in
recommending
a
universal
hepatitis
B
vaccine
dose
at
birth.
The
United
Kingdom,
a
developed
country
by
all
definitions,
has
had
a
universal
hepatitis
B
vaccine
since
2017
but
only
high-risk
babies
get
the
dose
at
birth.
Others
get
their
first
dose
at
8
weeks,
then
again
at
12
and
16
weeks.
One
of
the
comparisons
during
the
meetings
was
Denmark,
which
does
not
recommend
a
universal
hepatitis
B
birth
dose
—
though
some
say
this
is
not
an
apples-to-apples
comparison
as
Denmark
is
a
significantly
smaller
country
with
universal
healthcare.
Canada
may
be
a
closer
comparison,
which
allows
provinces
and
territories
to
set
their
own
schedules,
generally
from
birth
to
grade
7.
A
September
CDC
report
stated
that
“of
the
194
WHO
(World
Health
Organization)
member
states,
116
countries
recommend
universal
hepatitis
B
birth
dose
vaccination
to
all
newborns.”
Both
Nevison
and
Pebsworth
who
testified
at
the
ACIP
meeting
are
known
to
have
anti-vaccine
ties.
The
recommendation
from
ACIP
does
not
become
a
part
of
the
CDC
immunization
schedule
until
it
is
adopted
by
the
CDC
director.
Currently,
there
isn’t
a
CDC
director,
only
Acting
CDC
Director
Jim
O’Neill,
who
does
not
have
a
medical
background.
However,
the
acting
CDC
director
does
not
have
the
authority
to
make
this
decision,
so
it
will
likely
fall
on
RFK
Jr.,
though
he
may
delegate
the
task,
according
to
Benjamin
of
the
American
Public
Health
Association.
The
reaction
Several
experts
in
the
industry
and
professional
medical
organizations
have
condemned
ACIP’s
guidance
on
hepatitis
B.
For
example,
Benjamin
said
the
meetings
to
discuss
the
vaccine
were
“poorly
done”
and
seemed
to
place
blame
on
immigrants
(and
used
immigrants
as
a
broad
category)
and
drug
use
with
very
little
evidence.
While
drug
use
is
a
risk
factor,
most
of
the
time
people
get
hepatitis
B
from
close
family
contact,
which
is
why
it’s
often
seen
in
households,
he
said.
This
will
create
a
lot
of
confusion
for
parents
when
giving
birth,
particularly
at
a
time
that
is
already
chaotic,
Benjamin
said.
“There’ll
be
kids
who
don’t
get
vaccinated
while
they’re
in
hospital,
whose
parents
intend
to
do
it,
but
they
just
don’t
get
around
to
it,”
he
stated.
“And
we
know
that
happens.
It’s
not
neglect,
it’s
just
life,
the
way
things
work.
…
There
may
be
some
confusion
of
who
pays
for
it.
Even
though
the
insurance
companies
have
said
they’re
going
to
pay
for
it,
patients
may
not
be
sure
who’s
paying
for
it.
There
will
be
states
who
will
not
follow
the
ACIP
recommendation,
so
you
have
a
lack
of
coordination
at
the
federal,
state
and
local
level.”
Hopkins
of
the
National
Foundation
for
Infectious
Diseases
echoed
these
comments,
noting
that
the
greatest
risk
of
this
action
is
that
more
infants
could
be
left
unprotected.
The
hepatitis
B
birth
dose
has
prevented
more
than
500,000
childhood
infections
and
prevented
an
estimated
90,100
childhood
deaths
since
the
original
recommendation
was
put
in
place
in
1991,
according
to
the
organization.
“Up
to
half
of
adults
with
chronic
hepatitis
B
don’t
know
they’re
infected,
and
babies
exposed
around
the
time
of
birth
face
the
highest
likelihood
of
lifelong
infection
and
severe
complications,
including
liver
cancer
and
cirrhosis,”
he
said.
“Even
small
declines
in
birth-dose
coverage
could
reverse
hard-won
public
health
gains.
The
hepatitis
B
vaccine
has
a
40+
year
legacy
of
safety;
there
have
been
no
common
severe
adverse
effects
linked
to
this
vaccine.”
Dr.
Yolanda
VanRiel,
chair
of
the
department
of
nursing
at
North
Carolina
Central
University,
agreed
and
raised
the
issue
of
what
this
might
mean
for
other
vaccines.
“What
else
is
going
to
change?
…
This
decision
won’t
be
in
isolation.
We
just
don’t
know
what’s
going
to
be
the
next
ones
that
they
are
looking
at,”
VanRiel
said
in
an
interview.
The
administration’s
vilification
of
vaccines
will
likely
have
an
impact
on
vaccine
manufacturers
as
well.
“Vaccines
don’t
make
money
for
the
companies.
It’s
very
expensive.
…
So
if
the
private
sector
is
discouraged
because
they’re
going
to
produce
a
product
that’s
going
to
be
safe
and
effective,
[but]
have
poor
science
used
to
undermine
their
product,
their
investors
are
going
to
start
going
in
different
directions,”
Benjamin
argued.
“I
fear
for
the
whole
pipeline
of
vaccines
in
our
country.”
Not
everyone
in
the
medical
industry
is
upset
with
ACIP’s
recommendation,
however.
Dr.
Samantha
Mitchell,
DNP,
APRN,
AGPCNP-BC,
dean
of
nursing
(Houston
Campus)
and
interim
dean
of
nursing
(Denver
Campus)
at
Denver
College
of
Nursing,
said
this
decision
likely
wasn’t
made
lightly
by
ACIP
and
that
the
panel
is
“doing
what’s
best
for
those
that
are
affected,
which
are
the
neonates.”
She
added
that
she
anticipates
this
to
cause
a
lot
of
medical
providers
and
advisory
panels
to
look
more
into
other
vaccines.
“I
think
that
in
the
future,
it’s
just
going
to
lead
to
them
doing
more
research
studies
and
looking
more
in
depth
on
the
different
things
that
they’re
using
to
create
the
vaccines.
So
while
it
does
cause
benefits,
which
keeps
you
from
having
disease,
it’ll
also
not
cause
other
neurotoxic
effects
or
other
effects
to
the
body,”
she
said.
Hopkins,
meanwhile,
hopes
that
there
isn’t
a
rollback
on
recommendations
for
other
vaccines
in
the
near
future.
He
said
that
NFID
is
advocating
“for
the
re-establishment
of
broadly
representative
ACIP
expert
workgroups,
including
CDC
experts
and
external
experts
in
public
health,
vaccinology,
and
clinical
care,
to
help
ensure
that
vaccine
policy
remains
anchored
in
the
best
available
evidence.
Healthcare
professionals
can
help
by
educating
families,
answering
their
questions,
and
not
missing
opportunities
to
vaccinate.”
Photo:
baona,
Getty
Images
