Without evidence, RFK Jr.’s vaccine panel tosses hep B vaccine recommendation

A US vaccine advisory panel, led by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has voted to eliminate a key recommendation that newborn babies receive the hepatitis B vaccine immediately after birth. The decision was made without any evidence of harm from the one-time dose or data showing benefits from delaying it.

Critics on the committee, including some members who voted against the change, argue that this move will lead to more cases of hepatitis B infection in babies and increase the risk of chronic liver disease, liver cancer, and premature death. The committee's decision is also seen as undermining decades of public trust in a vaccine widely recognized for its life-saving benefits.

The recommendation was made after attempts to vaccinate only high-risk infants failed, leading to a significant spike in infected infants between 1979 and 1989. However, this universal recommendation has been in place since 1991, with the hepatitis B vaccine being administered at birth nearly eliminating post-birth infections.

Despite the lack of data supporting the change, the committee voted 8-3 to withdraw the long-standing universal recommendation and instead recommended a new approach where only babies born to mothers known to be infected with the virus or those born to untested mothers should receive the birth dose. Parents would then use "individual-based decision making" to decide if the vaccine is necessary for their child.

Experts are warning that this new approach creates an opportunity for newborns to contract the highly infectious virus from false-negative test results or other sources, putting thousands of lives at risk in the US alone. Only a small percentage of infected individuals are aware they carry the virus.

Critics, including medical experts and some members of the committee, have condemned the decision as "reckless" and "based on baseless skepticism." The move is seen as an attempt to undermine public confidence in vaccines and may lead to confusion among parents about how best to protect their newborns.

I'm so worried about this decision! They're basically leaving newborns vulnerable to hepatitis B infection just because they didn't want to make a big change all at once. It's like, we already know the vaccine is life-saving and has been doing its job for decades - no need to mess with that! The new approach sounds like a recipe for disaster, what if people misdiagnose their baby's test results or something? Thousands of lives are at risk here... I don't get why they're being so reckless. Can we just stick with the tried and tested method that's worked for years?

I'm all for choice, but come on... delay a one-time dose of hepatitis B vaccine? It's not like we're talking about a permanent change here . The benefits far outweigh the risks and it's been proven time and time again that this vaccine has saved countless lives . This decision is just a bunch of baseless skepticism . I mean, what's next? Are they gonna start questioning the safety of flu shots too? The risk of chronic liver disease and premature death from hepatitis B far outweighs any potential harm from the vaccine . Parents should have confidence in science-backed recommendations, not some "individual-based decision making" that's just a fancy way of saying "let your kid play Russian roulette with their health" . This move is just going to create more problems than it solves .

I'm pretty worried about this new approach to giving the hepatitis B vaccine to newborns. From what I've been following, it seems like a lot of people on that committee are going off of conspiracy theories and lack of data, which is super concerning . The fact that they're considering withdrawing a tried-and-true recommendation just because some high-risk infants got infected back in the 80s doesn't seem like a good reason to me. I mean, we've learned so much more about hepatitis B since then, and we know for sure that this vaccine has saved countless lives .

The new approach sounds super confusing for parents too - they're supposed to just use "individual-based decision making" to decide whether or not to vaccinate their kid? That's a lot of pressure and uncertainty for them to handle. And what about all those babies who are born to mothers with false-negative test results? We know that hepatitis B is super easy to transmit, so it's like they're just leaving their kids out there in the open .

I think we need to be careful here - vaccines have been shown time and time again to be safe and effective, and this latest move from the committee seems like a step backward . We can't let fear-mongering and misinformation lead us into making decisions that put people's lives at risk

This new vaccine advisory panel recommendation is straight up crazy! I'm not surprised, though - what's going on with the US healthcare system these days? It's like they're just making stuff up and hoping it doesn't come back to haunt them. I mean, come on, no data or evidence to support delaying the vaccine and now we're supposed to trust that parents can make informed decisions about their own kids' health? That's not how science works! We need to stick with the tried-and-true methods here, not some experimental approach that could put thousands of lives at risk.

Ugh this is crazy ! They're basically rolling back a vaccine that's proven to save lives since 1991? The only people who are getting hurt here are the babies who might not get protected from hepatitis B in the first place . I mean, come on, if you're worried about false negatives, why not just do more tests instead of taking the vaccine away altogether? It's like they're trying to create a new problem and then act all surprised when it happens . And what's with this individual-based decision making nonsense? Parents are already gonna be stressed enough about their little ones, do we really need to make it harder for them?

This is insane! They're basically saying let the babies rot from hepatitis B because we can't agree on a vaccine that's already proven to be life-saving . What's next, abandoning vaccination programs altogether? It's like they're playing with fire and expecting everyone else to bail when it all goes up in flames . The data just isn't there to support this decision, but the committee is choosing to ignore it for some reason that has nothing to do with science . This move is a huge step backwards for public health and I'm worried about what's going to happen next .

idk why ppl r so worried bout this... like, if a baby's got hepatitis b, what's the diff? they'll probs just die young anyway u gotta think about the parents' rights here too... they should be able 2 make informed decsions about their own kids if it means putting 'em at LESS risk instead of more... its all about balance

Ugh I'm literally freaking out over this . Like, what's the thinking behind this? We're talking about a vaccine that has been shown to be super effective at preventing hepatitis B infections, and they want to just roll back the recommendation for newborns entirely? That's crazy talk! I mean, I get it, there was some data from back in the 80s that showed some issues with vaccinating high-risk infants, but that was like, decades ago. Have we learned nothing since then? It seems like this decision is just going to cause more problems than it solves. And what about all those parents who are going to be left wondering if they should even bother giving their baby the vaccine? That's not a decision I want to have to make as a parent, trust me

I'm low-key freaked out by this news! Did you guys see the stats? According to CDC, the hepatitis B vaccine has been administering at birth since 1991 and it's reduced post-birth infections by 90%!!! What are we gonna do with a new approach that puts more babies at risk? The data just isn't there for this change... I mean, they're saying only high-risk infants should get the vaccine, but what about all those false-negative test results or when parents don't know their baby's mom is infected?! We need to keep it safe and stick with what works!

I'm really worried about this new approach to hepatitis B vaccination. It seems like a step backward, considering the overwhelming success of universal vaccination since 1991. The data just isn't there to support delaying the vaccine or making individual decisions based on false-negative test results. It's like playing Russian roulette with thousands of babies' lives at stake.

I also think we need to question Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s leadership role on this committee. His views on vaccines have been, shall we say, questionable in the past. I'm concerned that his bias might be influencing the panel's decision-making process. We can't afford to undermine public trust in life-saving vaccines like this.

It's also worth noting that hepatitis B is a highly infectious disease, and delaying vaccination can have serious consequences. The fact that only a small percentage of infected individuals are aware they carry the virus just makes it even more crucial for us to prioritize herd immunity.

Let's hope this decision is reevaluated once the dust settles, and we can get back on track with protecting our babies' health.

omg this is so worrisome!!! i cant believe they're doin this i mean, come on, hepatitis b vaccine has been proven to be super effective in preventin' post-birth infections since 1991... why are we goin back now? its like, the committee is just listenin to baseless skepticism from robert f kennedy jr and his crew and thats not gonna help our babies at all i mean, what's next? this new approach is so reckless and it's gonna lead to more cases of hepatitis b infection in babies... its like, we're just puttin our faith in individual decision makin' which is so unreliable we need evidence-based decisions here! not just someones personal opinion or skepticism... my mind is blown

I'm super worried about this new recommendation ... I mean, think about it - we're already talking about making a huge change without any concrete evidence that it's gonna save lives or prevent harm. It sounds like they're just trying to keep the vaccine industry on their toes and create doubt among parents. And what if some babies don't get vaccinated because their mom isn't infected? Are we gonna see more cases of hepatitis B popping up in hospitals all over the country? The lack of data is staggering - 8-3 vote, yeah right... I'm not buying it

Umm... I'm so worried about this new recommendation ... I mean, I get that some people have concerns about vaccines, but this one seems super suspicious to me... like, what's the harm in giving a one-time dose of the vaccine at birth? It's not like it's going to cause any long-term problems or anything. And now they're saying only babies born to infected moms should get the vaccine? That just sounds like a recipe for disaster ... I don't know how parents are supposed to make informed decisions about their kids' health if there's no concrete evidence to back up this new approach... it's all kinda scary .

This new recommendation from the US vaccine advisory panel is a bit concerning. I mean, they're basically saying that if you're born to a mom who's infected with hepatitis B or you don't know your status, then you might not get the vaccine right away. And then it's up to parents to decide whether or not their baby needs the shot... which could lead to some confusion and potentially more cases of infection. I'm not sure why they're doing this without any solid evidence that delaying the vaccine causes harm - I mean, we already know it's saved countless lives in the past when given at birth. And what about all those parents who don't even know their baby's status? It feels like a bit of a gamble to me...

just heard that new vaccine advisory panel says no more immediate hepatitis B shots for babies after birth is this gonna lead to a spike in infected babies? experts are saying it's super reckless and based on zero evidence... can't believe they're undermining all the trust people have in vaccines