CDC vaccine advisory committee votes to remove universal recommendation for hepatitis B shot at birth

US Vaccine Committee Axes Universal Hepatitis B Shot for Newborns, Shifts to Individualized Approach.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted 8-3 to scrap the universal recommendation for the hepatitis B vaccine at birth. This move marks a significant shift towards an individualized approach, with parents being advised to consult their healthcare provider about vaccinating their newborn if they test negative for the virus.

According to the new guidelines, infants born to mothers who test positive or have unknown hepatitis B status will still receive the vaccination. However, children born to mothers who test negative will need to weigh the risks against the benefits of vaccination and make an informed decision with the guidance of their healthcare provider.

The vote also included a provision for newborns who do not receive the hepatitis B birth dose before the age of 2 months to receive an initial dose at that time. The ACIP emphasized there has been no change in recommending vaccinations for infants born to women who test positive or have unknown status.

Experts suggest considering whether the newborn is exposed to individuals with hepatitis B, such as household members or frequent contacts from countries where hepatitis B is prevalent. A footnote accompanying the document advised parents and healthcare providers to weigh these risks against vaccination benefits.

The changes will be reviewed by the CDC's acting director, Jim O'Neill, who is expected to sign off on the revised guidelines.
 
so i think its kinda weird that they're making it more individualized now πŸ€”... like what if someone's mom tested positive but she didn't get infected? does that mean the kid gets vaccinated and they're basically just playing russian roulette with their liver lol? anyway, i guess its good that parents are being involved in this decision now. it feels more like a personal choice than a one-size-fits-all solution πŸ’‘ but what about those who can't afford to go back and get the shot after 2 months or whatever πŸ€‘πŸ€·β€β™€οΈ
 
πŸ€” I'm kinda worried about this new approach... I mean, hepatitis B can be super serious if you catch it as a baby πŸš‘. So, now we're gonna have parents deciding whether or not to vaccinate their little ones? It seems like it could lead to more cases or even deaths... and what if they make the wrong decision? πŸ’”

I get that we need to weigh risks against benefits, but isn't hepatitis B vaccine super effective in preventing long-term health issues? πŸ€·β€β™€οΈ I'm not an expert, but it feels like this might lead to a lot of unnecessary cases or even more people getting sick... 😟
 
idk about this new rule πŸ€”... i mean i get it, too many shots for newborns and all that jazz, but what about those families where mom's positive for hepatitis B? shouldn't they be prioritized? πŸ€• my aunt had a friend whose kid got hepatitis b from their older sibling and now they're super careful about testing and vaccination... anyway, i guess this individualized approach is a good thing, just gotta make sure people are aware of the risks and benefits πŸ’‘
 
πŸ˜• I gotta say, this is kinda worrying for me... all that uncertainty around hepatitis B can be super stressful for parents 🀯. It's like, they want to protect their babies from a serious disease, but at the same time, don't wanna over-medicate 'em with unnecessary shots πŸ’‰. What really bothers me is how some folks might feel left in the dark about what to do - it's not just about weighing pros and cons, but also feeling like you're making life-or-death decisions for your kid πŸ€°β€β™€οΈ. I hope those healthcare providers can provide clear guidance and support to new parents during this time πŸ’•.
 
I'm literally shocked 😱! So now it's up to individual parents to decide if their newborn gets vaccinated or not? Like, what's next? πŸ€” I get that some people are anti-vax and all, but this feels like a giant step back for public health 🚫. What about all the moms who can't even afford the test to see if their kid is positive? Or those whose babies are exposed to someone with hepatitis B without even realizing it? πŸ€·β€β™€οΈ I just don't think this is responsible πŸ’”. And what's the point of having a vaccine if everyone is gonna be able to opt out? 🀯 It's like, we're trying to protect ourselves from something and now it's up to us to decide if that protection is even worth it? πŸ€·β€β™‚οΈ I'm all for choice, but not when it comes to something as serious as a vaccine πŸ’‰.
 
πŸ€” So they're basically saying if your mom doesn't have hepatitis B, you get a choice, but it's not like an either/or thing. I mean, it's still super good for you to get vaccinated just in case, and all that. But, I guess the idea is to make parents feel more involved in this decision, right? Like, they don't wanna just force-feed their kid some meds without them being okay with it first. But what about those who can't even be like "oh, we'll get a shot" because of circumstances outside their control? It's all about weighing the risks and benefits... 🀝
 
oh man, this is kinda concerning πŸ€•... i get why they wanna switch it up, but what about all the little ones who are already born and don't know if their moms had hepatitis b or not? like, how do those parents even make an informed decision when they're already feeling overwhelmed with so much info to process? 😩 and what about the ones who can't afford medical care or have limited access to healthcare? that's just more stress on them and their families 🀝 i hope these new guidelines are gonna be fair for everyone, not just the ones with means πŸ’Έ
 
omg u guys i just read this news about the new hep b vaccine guideline for newborns & i'm literally freaking out πŸ€―πŸ‘Ά i mean i know some ppl might be thinking 'great, no more shots!' but what if ur kid gets hep b from someone who doesn't even show symptoms? like what if ur kid's mom is carriers but dont even have any? 😩

i feel like its kinda unfair to put the responsiblity on parents 2 make this life or death decision πŸ€·β€β™€οΈ i mean i get it, individualized approach and all that jazz πŸ’β€β™€οΈ but what if we're not even experts in hep b? πŸ€” i'm low-key worried about my own lil one πŸš¨πŸ’•
 
πŸ€” The US just changed its approach to newborn vaccinations - now it's all about individualized decisions! πŸ’‘ Parents are being told to consult with their healthcare provider if they test negative for hepatitis B πŸ€• before deciding whether to vaccinate their little ones. It's like, what a big change from the old days where everyone got vaccinated just because πŸ˜‚. I guess it's good that experts are taking into account things like exposure to people who might have hepatitis B - makes sense, right? 🀝 But still, you've gotta wonder what's driving this shift... is it all about trust and informed decision-making or is there more going on beneath the surface? πŸ€”πŸ‘€
 
Umm... so what's going on here? πŸ€” I'm kinda surprised they're changing this vaccine rule for newborns. Like, isn't hepatitis B a big deal or something? πŸ€·β€β™€οΈ And why are they shifting towards an individualized approach now? Used to be like, get vaccinated at birth and be good to go! πŸ’‰ I mean, don't get me wrong, it's great that parents will have more control over their kids' vaccinations, but what about all the people who might not know if they're even carriers of the virus? 🀝 How are we supposed to protect ourselves then? 🚫 Also, is this a thing where some states will just do their own thing now and it's like... vaccine chaos or something? πŸ˜‚πŸ‘€
 
omg what do you think about this new vaccine policy? πŸ€” i mean i get it, individualized approach and all that but i'm a bit worried about parents making those tough decisions for themselves... their kids are basically playing with fire here πŸš’. hepatitis b can be super serious if left untreated and now they have to weigh the risks against the benefits? like what if you dont know enough about hepatitis b or the risks involved? 🀯 shouldn't we just stick to universal vaccination to protect everyone? 🀝 anyway, i guess this is a step in the right direction but also kinda scary 😬.
 
omg 🀯 this is wild news! so basically they're saying we don't have to give newbs a hepatitis B shot at birth anymore? it's like, what's next? πŸ€·β€β™€οΈ i mean, i get it, individualized approach and all that jazz πŸ’‘ but aren't we worried about all the people out there who are carriers of the virus? πŸ€• anyway, apparently if you're born to a mom who's negative, you get to weigh your options with your doc πŸ“Š sounds like a plan? i hope so, because i don't wanna be one of those ppl who gets sick from hepatitis B 😷 and then regrets not getting vaccinated. idk about the new rule about giving shots after 2 months tho... seems kinda late for me if i had to go through that process πŸ€¦β€β™€οΈ
 
omg can't believe what just happened 🀯 US vaccine committee changed their mind on hepatitis B shots for newborns... now parents gotta make decisions themselves? that's a lot of responsibility πŸ™ˆ and what about all those moms with unknown status? how r they supposed to know if they got it or not? πŸ€” guess this means they'll have to test before giving the shot πŸ’‰ seems like common sense to get 'em vaccinated ASAP, but I guess the experts think there's a case for weighing risks vs benefits... still don't get why we need all these caveats πŸ™„ and what about kids who don't get the shot until they're 2? shouldn't that delay the risk of transmission? anyway, here we go πŸ˜…
 
πŸ€” this seems like a big change, i was reading about it online and some people are saying its because of the risk of vaccines not working for some kids πŸ™…β€β™€οΈ but others think its just 'cause the government wants to cut costs πŸ’Έ
 
I'm kinda surprised about this change πŸ˜•... I mean, hepatitis B can be super serious if you catch it late in life. I've got a family member with it and they're always getting sick. But at the same time, I get that not everyone's gonna need the vaccine right away. My friend had a baby last year and she didn't even think about it until her doc suggested it. Now she's all over it 🀞... still a bit worried though, we don't wanna let our guard down with this stuff. Anyone got thoughts on this?
 
πŸ€” I'm kinda surprised about this move. It seems like a big shift from just vaccinating every newborn to making it more of a personal decision for parents. 🀝 On one hand, it's good that they're taking into account the risks and benefits for each individual case. But on the other hand, what if some parents aren't aware of the risks or don't have access to healthcare info? πŸ“š It's a bit worrying that this is now more about weighing pros and cons rather than just following the rules.

I also think it's interesting that they're considering whether the newborn has been exposed to someone with hepatitis B. That's like, a crucial piece of info that could make all the difference in deciding whether or not to vaccinate 🀝 What do you guys think? Should we be more careful about vaccination decisions or is this just progress? πŸ’‰
 
idk about this new rule... i mean, i get that the risk of hepatitis B is pretty low for most people, but what if your mom never even knew she had it? or you're born to a family where nobody's ever gotten sick from hepatitis b? shouldn't we be vaccinating everyone just in case?

also, what does "individualized approach" even mean in practice? is this gonna lead to more cases of parents not vaccinating their kids because they think the risk is too low? or are we just relying on people to make informed decisions with their healthcare provider... which isn't always possible

anyway, i'd love to see some data on how this new rule's actually gonna play out in real life πŸ€”
 
I'm kinda surprised about this decision πŸ€”. I get it, individualized approach makes sense, but what if parents aren't aware of the risks? They might make a decision based on personal preference instead of facts πŸ’‘. What's next? Decisions made by kids or pets too? 🐢

The thing is, hepatitis B is a serious condition that can lead to liver failure and even death 😱. It's not something you want to mess around with. I'm all for parents being involved in decision making, but this approach might encourage more vaccine hesitancy πŸ€•.

What do people think about this new approach? Is it a step forward or back for public health? Should we just stick to the one-size-fits-all approach that's been working so far πŸ‘€.
 
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