ACIP decision to roll back universal Hepatitis B vaccine schedule recommendations will leave children vulnerable to unnecessary exposure and preventable illness

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: [email protected]

Statement from APHA Executive Director Georges C. Benjamin, MD

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ decision to change the universal Hepatitis B vaccine guidance increases the risk of infection for babies. This recommendation will leave children vulnerable to unnecessary exposure and preventable illness. ACIP members failed to provide scientific evidence to show the long-term health benefits of delaying vaccination. As a committee tasked with giving guidance to practitioners on the front lines of improving the health of all communities, this decision creates confusion instead of the needed evidence-based roadmap for families to make informed decisions about their child’s health. The current vaccination schedule is doing what it is supposed to, which is taking a preventative approach to minimize infection and exposure to a dangerous infectious disease. Hepatitis B is a virus that causes serious health issues and delaying prevention will leave children unprotected, see others fall through the cracks of our health system, and increase the risk of the disease and its side effects on people throughout their lifespan.

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