Reference News Network, December 9 report. According to the Associated Press, on December 6, a U.S. federal vaccine advisory committee voted to end long-standing recommendations that all newborns receive the hepatitis B vaccine. Many medical and public health professionals strongly condemned the committee's move.

The current members of this committee were all appointed by U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, a well-known anti-vaccine activist.

For decades, the U.S. government has recommended that all newborns be vaccinated against hepatitis B immediately after birth.

However, Kennedy's advisory committee passed a new decision with a vote of 8 to 3, recommending that only newborns whose mothers tested positive for hepatitis B virus, or whose mothers had not been tested, should receive the vaccine at birth. For other newborns, whether to vaccinate at birth will be decided jointly by parents and doctors.

According to the website of "El País", on December 7, an expert committee appointed by U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy made a decision on December 5 to recommend no longer recommending hepatitis B vaccination for newborns. Kennedy himself has repeatedly publicly questioned the effectiveness of vaccines.

The expert committee's voting result was 8 votes in favor and 3 votes against.

According to this decision, mothers with negative hepatitis B test results can decide independently whether to vaccinate their newborns.

This new measure may end the U.S. universal hepatitis B vaccination policy for newborns that has been in place since 1991. According to health experts, this policy has successfully prevented over 500,000 cases of hepatitis B virus infection.

Over 70 health policy experts and the American Public Health Association, representing more than 23,000 practitioners, have issued warnings, stating that this immunization policy is a milestone in children's health policy in the United States, and terminating it poses significant risks.

The association stated: "Canceling the universal hepatitis B vaccination policy for newborns and postponing the first dose of the hepatitis B vaccine to a later age in children would pose a major threat to public health."

President Trump praised this decision through his "Truth Social" platform, retweeting related posts and calling the decision "excellent."

This policy change is expected not to affect insurance coverage, but for the health department led by Kennedy, who is known for his anti-vaccine stance, this move is undoubtedly a victory.

This health secretary has repeatedly questioned the safety and effectiveness of vaccines, claiming that "there is no absolutely safe and effective vaccine," and even falsely claimed a direct link between vaccines and autism.

To promote anti-vaccine ideas, Kennedy founded an organization called the "Children's Health Defense," which spreads false information opposing vaccines.

According to Reuters on December 7, doctors and disease experts said that the U.S. vaccine advisory committee's decision to abolish the long-standing hepatitis B vaccination guidelines will expose more children to this harmful virus and may signal that other vaccine policies could also be weakened.

Since 1991, U.S. health officials have recommended universal hepatitis B vaccination for infants. Federal data show that this measure has significantly reduced infection rates and saved many lives.

Disease experts say that due to this vaccine program implemented for decades, the current hepatitis B infection rate in the United States is at a low level.

But they warned that if the Trump administration adopts this new recommendation, the situation will change. If there is no clear federal policy support, more families may choose not to vaccinate their children, and children are easily infected with hepatitis B through family members other than their mothers—these family members may not realize they carry the hepatitis B virus.

Many hepatitis B virus carriers have no symptoms and do not know they are infected.

World Health Organization data show that about 95% of cases in infants infected with the hepatitis B virus develop into chronic hepatitis, and may lead to liver damage and liver cancer decades later.

"This is a pivotal moment for our country," said Dr. Alex Tzivianovich, a pediatrician in Albuquerque, New Mexico. "I think it won't be long before hepatitis B cases return."

"They are actually dismantling the vaccination program," said Dr. Flore Muñoz, an infectious disease expert at Texas Children's Hospital. "All other vaccines may be included in their plan."

Data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that the hepatitis B infection rate in the United States has dropped nearly 90%—from about 9.6 cases per 100,000 people before vaccination became widespread to about 1 case per 100,000 people in 2018.

Major medical associations in the United States, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, as well as at least 12 states, have stated that they will ignore this new recommendation and continue to support hepatitis B vaccination for all newborns. (Translated by Han Chao, Guo Jun)

Photo of the meeting of the U.S. Vaccine Advisory Committee on December 5 (AP)

Original article: toutiao.com/article/7581677545302409728/

Statement: The article represents the views of its author.