The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advisory panel, after multiple failed attempts and heated debates, voted 8 to 3 on Friday to remove the recommendation that all newborns should receive the hepatitis B vaccine at birth — marking a new high for the anti-vaccine movement just ten months after anti-vaccine pioneer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. became the Secretary of Health and Human Services. The vote will only take effect once approved by the CDC, and it is expected not to affect insurance coverage. The decision now rests with CDC Acting Director Jim O’Neill. If he accepts the change, it would overturn a recommendation that has been in place for decades and contradict the scientific and public health consensus in the United States. The vaccine advisors plan to retain the recommendation for infants born to mothers with hepatitis B or unknown maternal status, and encourage other families to wait until the infant is at least two months old before vaccination. This adjustment in hepatitis B vaccine policy represents the most visible result of Kennedy's efforts to reshape the national vaccine policy. Supporters of the change point out that most European countries do not universally recommend hepatitis B vaccination at birth for all newborns. Before the vote on Friday, members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices did not consult CDC hepatitis B vaccine experts but instead heard statements from top anti-vaccine activists — many public health experts say these arguments are misleading. Members who voted against the change emphasized that there is no evidence that the hepatitis B vaccine causes harm, and that the vaccine has significantly reduced cases of infant infection. Kennedy had previously fired all members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, and some of the new members include vaccine skeptics. Many prominent scientists have warned that Kennedy is politicizing the agency, making the public unable to trust federal health authorities on vaccine issues.
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Original article: toutiao.com/article/1850738534351131/
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