Crucial US Advisory Committee to Cast Ballots on Changing Infant Hepatitis B Vaccine Advisory
Following a hold-up and a particularly heated session, a national immunization advisory committee was scheduled to decide on Friday on whether to change the longstanding recommendation that all newborns be vaccinated against hepatitis B.
Intense Discussion and a Deferred Vote
The first day of the conference on Thursday was characterized by heated debate over limiting availability to the hepatitis B vaccine for babies and a choice to delay the ballot by a day to provide committee members extra time to scrutinize the phrasing. The group, which guides the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on vaccination protocols, had previously delayed on two occasions.
“Is there any concrete proof of damage of giving this vaccination before 30 days? Or is this theory?” questioned one adviser.
In answer, another member stated, “There is inadequate data about the prolonged hazard.”
Current Guidelines and Likely Ramifications
The injection is presently advised for each baby within 24 hours of birth to halt contraction of hepatitis B, which can result in significant hepatic injury. It has been provided to over a billion individuals for more than three decades.
The Atlanta conference presented no new evidence of damage attributable to the vaccine. Experts say any alteration to the present hepatitis B vaccine regimen could have significant and far-reaching implications for childhood health in the United States.
Committee Makeup and Recent Changes
The advisory panel can only make recommendations to the director of the CDC. The group's roster has undergone changes this week, with the statement that the panel's latest chairman would depart for an official role and be substituted with a cardiac doctor who has been critical of other immunizations.
The panel includes multiple vaccine skeptics who align with a desire to overhaul – and possibly, in some cases, scrap – longstanding vaccine advisories.
