News Brief: English
Summary
A vaccine advisory committee appointed by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has voted to end the universal recommendation that all newborns receive a hepatitis B vaccine at birth, replacing it with weaker guidance for infants born to mothers who test negative for the virus.
Key Points
- Policy Change: The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted 8-3 to scrap the universal birth dose recommendation. For babies of hepatitis B-negative mothers, the decision on if/when to give the first dose is now left to parents in consultation with a doctor.
- New Guidance: If the birth dose is skipped, the committee recommends the first vaccine be given at age 2 months or older. The CDC director must still approve this change.
- Strong Opposition: Several committee members and major health organizations (AMA, Merck) warned the change could reverse public health gains, lead to more chronic infections in children, and cause confusion. They cited decades of safety and effectiveness data.
- Controversial Context: The vote follows Kennedy’s overhaul of the committee, with new appointees including vaccine critics. Some members made claims contradicting established science on vaccine testing and neonatal safety.
- Potential Impact: Critics fear an increase in hepatitis B infections, which can cause lifelong liver disease and cancer. A 2024 CDC study credited the current schedule with preventing over 6 million infections.
- Coverage Unchanged: Insurance coverage for the vaccine under programs like Medicaid will not be affected by this vote.
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·肯尼迪任命的疫苗咨询委员会投票决定，终止所有新生儿应在出生时接种乙型肝炎疫苗的普遍建议，取而代之的是对病毒检测呈阴性的母亲所生婴儿的较弱指导。
关键点
- 政策变更：免疫实践咨询委员会以8比3的投票结果废除了普遍的出生剂量建议。对于母亲乙型肝炎检测呈阴性的婴儿，是否及何时接种第一剂疫苗现在由父母与医生协商决定。
- 新指导方针：如果跳过出生剂量，委员会建议在婴儿2个月大或更大时接种第一剂疫苗。此变更仍需美国疾病控制与预防中心主任批准。
- 强烈反对：数名委员会成员及主要卫生组织警告，此变更可能逆转公共卫生成果，导致更多儿童慢性感染，并造成困惑。他们引用了数十年的安全性和有效性数据。
- 争议背景：此次投票是在肯尼迪改组委员会之后进行的，新任命者包括疫苗批评者。一些成员发表了与疫苗测试和新生儿安全性既定科学相悖的言论。
- 潜在影响：批评者担心乙型肝炎感染会增加，该疾病可能导致终身肝病和癌症。CDC一项2024年的研究认为，当前的接种计划已预防了超过600万例感染。
- 保险覆盖不变：此次投票不会影响医疗补助等计划下的疫苗保险覆盖。
Original Article Link: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/12/05/hepatitis-b-vaccine-babies-rfk-jr-cdc.html