Executive Summary
On December 5, 2025, the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted 8-3 to end the universal recommendation for hepatitis B vaccination at birth—a policy that had been in place for 30 years and is credited with reducing pediatric hepatitis B infections by 99%.
The decision was made by a panel hand-picked by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who fired all 17 original ACIP members earlier in 2025. Several new members have histories of questioning vaccine safety. The American Academy of Pediatrics has boycotted ACIP meetings since the personnel change and called the new guidance "irresponsible and purposely misleading."
No new safety data prompted this review. The panel cited parent concerns, European practices, and time since last review—not scientific evidence of harm.
Timeline of Events
The ACIP Vote Breakdown
- Dr. Robert Malone (Vice-Chair)
- Dr. Catherine Stein
- Dr. Retsef Levi
- Dr. Vicky Pebsworth
- Dr. Hillary Blackburn
- Dr. James Pagano
- Dr. Evelyn Griffin
- Dr. Kirk Milhoan
- Dr. Cody Meissner
- Dr. Joseph Hibbeln
- Dr. Raymond Pollak
Key Reactions
"Before the birth dose was recommended, 20,000 newborns a year were infected with hepatitis B. Now, it's fewer than 20. Ending the recommendation for newborns makes it more likely the number of cases will begin to increase again. This makes America sicker."
— Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Chair of Senate HELP Committee, physician specializing in hepatitis B
"I want to reassure parents and clinicians that there is no new or concerning information about the hepatitis B vaccine that is prompting this change, nor has children's risk of contracting hepatitis B changed. Instead, this is the result of a deliberate strategy to sow fear and distrust among families."
— Dr. Susan J. Kressly, President, American Academy of Pediatrics
"The ACIP is totally discredited. They are not protecting children."
— Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), one day before the vote
Pediatric Hepatitis B Cases Before & After Universal Vaccination
What the Science Says
The University of Minnesota's Vaccine Integrity Project reviewed more than 400 studies and found no evidence of short- or long-term health problems from the hepatitis B shot after birth.
Key findings from the medical literature:
- The birth dose is not associated with increased risk of infant death, fever, or sepsis
- No link to multiple sclerosis or autoimmune conditions
- Severe reactions to the vaccine are rare
- No evidence of any safety benefit in waiting until a child is older
The American Association of Immunologists condemned the decision, noting it was made "without any new scientific evidence" and will "put infants at unnecessary risk."
State Responses
Multiple states and localities have announced they will not follow the new CDC guidance:
- Massachusetts — Governor announced state will maintain universal birth dose
- New York City — Health officials will continue recommending birth dose for all
- Maryland — State health department rejecting new guidance
- Santa Clara County, CA — Will maintain universal recommendation
The AAP has told its membership to ignore the ACIP votes and continue following the organization's own guidance, which maintains the universal birth dose recommendation.
CONTEXT NEEDED
The CDC did change its hepatitis B vaccine recommendation—that is factually accurate. However, critical context is missing from most coverage: The decision was made by a panel hand-picked by an HHS Secretary with a documented history of vaccine skepticism, over the objections of the medical establishment, with no new safety data prompting the review. Multiple states are refusing to follow the new guidance, and the AAP continues to recommend universal birth dose vaccination.
What Parents Should Know
The vaccine remains safe and available. The CDC's change affects recommendations, not vaccine availability. Parents can still request the hepatitis B vaccine at birth.
Your pediatrician's guidance still matters. The American Academy of Pediatrics continues to recommend universal hepatitis B vaccination at birth. Most pediatricians will follow AAP guidance, not the new ACIP recommendation.
Hepatitis B is serious. The virus can cause chronic liver disease, liver cancer, and death. Infants infected at birth have a 90% chance of developing chronic infection. The vaccine is the only reliable protection.