Major US Panel to Decide on Changing Baby Hepatitis B Vaccine Guideline
Following a delay and a remarkably divisive session, a federal vaccine advisory panel was set to cast ballots on Friday regarding a potential change to the enduring advisory that every infant be immunized against hepatitis B.
Fiery Exchange and a Delayed Ballot
The opening session of the assembly on Thursday was defined by intense argument over restricting access to the hepatitis B vaccine for babies and a decision to defer the vote by a day to provide committee members extra time to examine the language. The committee, which counsels the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on immunization practices, had previously delayed on two occasions.
“Is there any specific evidence of harm of giving this shot before 30 days? Or is this conjecture?” asked one committee member.
In reply, another attendee stated, “There is inadequate data about the long-term risk.”
Present Protocol and Potential Impact
The vaccine is currently recommended for every newborn within 24 hours of delivery to halt contraction of hepatitis B, which can result in major damage to the liver. It has been administered to more than a billion persons for over thirty years.
The meeting in Atlanta provided no fresh data of damage attributable to the vaccine. Specialists note any change to the present hepatitis B immunization timeline could have significant and far-reaching implications for childhood health in the United States.
Panel Composition and Latest Shifts
The consultative group can only offer guidance to the director of the CDC. The panel's membership has undergone changes in recent days, with the declaration that the panel's latest chairman would step down for an formal position and be replaced by a cardiologist who has been critical of other inoculations.
The committee includes a number of immunization doubters who support a desire to overhaul – and possibly, in some cases, abolish – longstanding vaccination recommendations.
