Crucial US Panel to Cast Ballots on Modifying Infant Hepatitis B Vaccine Guideline
Following a postponement and a remarkably divisive session, a government vaccine expert group was expected to vote on Friday on whether to change the longstanding recommendation that each baby be immunized against hepatitis B.
Intense Discussion and a Deferred Vote
The initial day of the conference on Thursday was defined by intense argument over limiting availability to the hepatitis B vaccine for newborns and a choice to defer the vote by a day to provide committee members extra time to scrutinize the phrasing. The panel, which guides the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on vaccination protocols, had twice before postponed.
“Is there any concrete proof of injury of giving this shot before 30 days? Or is this theory?” questioned one committee member.
In reply, another member stated, “There is inadequate data about the long-term risk.”
Current Guidelines and Potential Impact
The vaccine is currently recommended for every newborn within 24 hours of being born to stop transmission of hepatitis B, which can lead to serious liver damage. It has been given to more than a billion persons for more than three decades.
The Atlanta conference presented no fresh data of injuries resulting from the vaccine. Experts say any modification to the existing hepatitis B immunization timeline could have profound and widespread implications for childhood health in the United States.
Committee Makeup and New Appointments
The advisory panel can only provide advice to the head of the CDC. The panel's membership has undergone changes in recent days, with the statement that the committee’s most recent chair would step down for an formal position and be replaced by a cardiac doctor who has been skeptical about other vaccines.
The panel includes multiple vaccine skeptics who are in agreement with a desire to overhaul – and possibly, in some cases, scrap – traditional vaccination recommendations.
