CDC Guidance on Hepatitis B Vaccine for Newborns Wrongheaded and Illogical

The CDC’s decision to overturn its decades-old recommendation for a birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine creates confusion and doubt among parents, reverses hard-won progress in preventing the virus, and will undoubtedly result in completely preventable illness and death.

Patients have the right to receive information and ask questions about recommended treatments so that they can make well-considered decisions about care. The CDC’s decision, however, seems to encourage delaying vaccinations for the hepatitis B virus — which can cause severe, sometimes fatal liver diseases — until at least two months of age, a seemingly minor shift that could have profound health impacts over a lifetime.

BM

About the Author

Bobby Mukkamala

Bobby Mukkamala is an ear, nose, and throat surgeon in Michigan and president of the American Medical Association.

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The CDC’s decision to overturn its decades-old recommendation for a birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine creates confusion and doubt among parents, reverses hard-won progress in preventing the virus, and will undoubtedly result in completely preventable illness and death.

Patients have the right to receive information and ask questions about recommended treatments so that they can make well-considered decisions about care. The CDC’s decision, however, seems to encourage delaying vaccinations for the hepatitis B virus — which can cause severe, sometimes fatal liver diseases — until at least two months of age, a seemingly minor shift that could have profound health impacts over a lifetime.