News Brief: English
Summary
A key U.S. vaccine advisory panel, recently reconstituted by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has postponed a critical vote on the hepatitis B vaccine “birth dose” for newborns. The delay fuels uncertainty over whether the long-standing recommendation for universal vaccination within 24 hours of birth will be changed, a move public health experts warn could reverse decades of progress and increase chronic infections in children.
Key Points
- Vote Deferred: The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) postponed its vote until Friday to allow more time to review proposed language.
- Uncertain Outcome: It is unclear if the committee will vote to delay or eliminate the universal birth dose recommendation, particularly for infants of mothers who test negative for hepatitis B.
- Public Health Concerns: Experts strongly warn that any change risks increasing chronic hepatitis B infections in children, an incurable disease that can lead to liver failure and early death. The birth dose, introduced in 1991, is credited with reducing childhood infections by 99%.
- Safety & Efficacy Affirmed: Recent reviews of over 400 studies found no evidence that delaying the birth dose improves safety or effectiveness, and no link to serious adverse events. The American Academy of Pediatrics and other experts reaffirm the vaccine’s safety and lifesaving benefits.
- Broader Implications: ACIP’s recommendations influence insurance coverage. Vaccine manufacturers Merck and GSK also warn that changing the recommendation could disrupt vaccine supply chains and lead to shortages.
- Committee Context: The current ACIP includes new members appointed by Secretary Kennedy, some of whom are known vaccine critics, following a major overhaul of the committee earlier this year.
新闻简报：中文
摘要
由美国卫生与公众服务部部长小罗伯特·F·肯尼迪改组后的疫苗咨询委员会，推迟了就新生儿乙肝疫苗”出生剂次”的关键投票。此次推迟加剧了不确定性：是否将改变实行数十年的、建议新生儿在24小时内普遍接种乙肝疫苗的政策。公共卫生专家警告，任何改变都可能逆转数十年的防控成果，增加儿童慢性感染风险。
关键点
- 投票推迟：免疫实践咨询委员会将关键投票推迟至周五，以便委员有更多时间审议提案措辞。
- 结果不明：目前尚不清楚委员会是否会投票决定延迟或取消普遍接种”出生剂次”的建议，特别是针对母亲乙肝检测为阴性的婴儿。
- 公共卫生担忧：专家强烈警告，任何改变都可能增加儿童慢性乙肝感染风险。乙肝是一种无法治愈、可导致肝衰竭和早逝的疾病。自1991年推行出生剂次接种以来，儿童感染率已下降99%。
- 安全性与有效性再确认：最新对400多项研究的回顾发现，没有证据表明延迟出生剂次能提高安全性或有效性，也未发现该剂次会导致严重不良反应或死亡。美国儿科学会等机构重申了该疫苗的安全性和救命效益。
- 更广泛影响：ACIP的建议会影响保险覆盖范围。疫苗生产商默克和葛兰素史克也警告，改变建议可能会扰乱疫苗供应链，导致短缺。
- 委员会背景：现任ACIP包含了肯尼迪部长今年早些时候对委员会进行重大改组后任命的新成员，其中一些是知名的疫苗质疑者。
Original Article Link: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/12/04/rfk-jr-vaccine-vote-hepatitis-b-babies.html