CDC Postpones Decision on Infant Hepatitis B Vaccination

Dr. Robert Malone made an appearance during a session of the CDC's Immunization Practices Advisory Committee, held at their headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, on December 4, 2025.

Advisors from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention unexpectedly deferred controversial decisions concerning modifications to the universal vaccination policy for newborns against hepatitis B. Discrepancies and confusion surrounding the vote language compelled the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) to move the voting to Friday.

Contentious Discussions and Communication Issues

The meeting was notably marked by unusual discord and disorder. Dr. Joseph Hibbeln, a voting committee member and psychiatrist, expressed frustration, stating, 'We've received three iterations of these questions in the past 72 hours, making it difficult to assess an ever-changing target.' He criticized the lack of consultation with ACIP members in formulating these questions.

The intended focus of the vote was on discontinuing the recommendation of vaccinating all healthy newborns for hepatitis B, irrespective of the maternal infection status. However, evolving changes to the vote's language prompted some members to request additional time to review the proposal in detail.

Current Policy and Public Health Concerns

The existing guideline ensures that no vulnerable infant is excluded and aims to provide permanent protection for all U.S. children against hepatitis B, which poses significant health threats. The policy is a key element in a long-standing public health strategy nationally.

Primarily spread through sexual interaction and substance abuse, hepatitis B can be passed from mother to child during birth and through contact with an infected individual's bodily fluids in early childhood. The virus targets the liver, and persistent infections can result in severe outcomes such as liver cancer, cirrhosis, and death, particularly for those infected as infants. There is no available cure.

Diverse Opinions Among Experts

Debates on Thursday highlighted a significant division among participants, with some supporting policy adjustments and others opposing them. FDA representative Dr. Tracy Beth Høeg questioned the necessity of the current universal vaccination policy, arguing against mandatory doses at birth for infants without major risk factors.

Conversely, Dr. Cody Meissner, a pediatric professor at Dartmouth's Geisel School of Medicine, defended the existing policy by citing the decline of the disease in the U.S., attributing it to the effective vaccination program. However, vaccinologist and biochemist Robert Malone challenged the assertion as merely Dr. Meissner's opinion.

The Process and Broader Implications

Several nonvoting liaisons from medical professional organizations voiced concerns about the deviation from ACIP's standard procedures. Dr. Jason Goldman, representing the American College of Physicians, emphasized the ethical duty to avoid harm and criticized the perceived anti-vaccine stance lacking proper empirical support.

The deferral has led to a busy agenda on Friday, which not only includes the hepatitis B policy vote but also discussions on comparing U.S. vaccination schedules with those of other nations and exploring the links between aluminum in vaccines and asthma. Generally, medical experts agree there is no substantial evidence indicating safety concerns with aluminum adjuvants.

Public health authorities worry this week's proceedings may be part of larger efforts to reduce vaccination access in the U.S. ACIP holds significant sway in shaping vaccination practices and influencing insurance coverage for vaccines.

However, the committee's credibility has diminished among primary healthcare organizations, attributed partially to political shifts and reduced collaboration with groups like the American Academy of Pediatrics, relying less on CDC specialists' input.