Pennsylvania Department of Health Secretary Dr. Debra Bogen said she fears a possible step back in the fight against hepatitis B in children and infants.

Her comments came after a federal panel voted to change the recommendation for the childhood vaccine. However, she said Pennsylvania is taking action to protect access. 

On Friday morning, vaccine advisors to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, appointed by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., voted to recommend the hepatitis B vaccine only to newborns whose mothers test positive. For others, they suggested that if a parent wants their child to receive it, start the vaccination series at 2 months old. 

"The way it's written is sowing uncertainty among families about this work," Dr. Bogen told KDKA on Friday.

Bogen worries this will result in more children and infants getting the viral infection that can lead to liver disease, cancer and death. It's more infectious to those at a young age.

"When a child gets hepatitis B, in the first year of life, they have a 90% chance of developing chronic hepatitis B. When an adult gets hepatitis B infection, they only have a 5% chance of becoming chronically infected," Dr. Bogen said.

She said decades of evidence from medical experts show how the vaccine has reduced the risk of hepatitis B in children and infants by 99% since the vaccine was universally recommended to newborns in the U.S. in 1991.

When it comes to Pennsylvania, according to the state agency, in a letter sent to the CDC ahead of the advisory committee's meeting, it shared, "There have been no cases of perinatal transmission in Pennsylvania since 2019, and no cases acquired in children less than age 4 years since 2007."

"We know that this vaccine has been very effective, and I would have liked to have seen real evidence presented that changes that calculus," Dr. Bogen said.

Dr. Bogen wants to provide a clear message to Pennsylvanians.

"The Shapiro administration, all parts, supports the birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine and supports the childhood immunization record," Dr. Bogen said.

In fact, in a precautionary measure, Gov. Josh Shapiro signed an executive order on Oct.1 to protect access to vaccines in the state and families' freedoms to make their own informed decisions on health care. It requires state agencies to align vaccine guidance with trusted medical experts and directs them to ensure coverage of recommended vaccines through private insurance and Medicaid. 

They also created a designated area on the state website for all vaccine information and will soon start a workshop to combat misinformation statewide.

Dr. Bogen urges families to talk to their primary care doctors and trusted health care professionals, and to follow the years of guidance from organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics.

"People get information from all over the place, and we want to make sure people are getting information from trusted sources that actually understand the medical literature, have reviewed it, and are giving sound and solid advice," Dr. Bogen said.

Local hospitals are also starting to speak out on the news. 

"Hepatitis B vaccination is safe for newborns and prevents deadly infection. As always, UPMC strongly encourages patients to discuss medical decisions with their trusted health care provider," UPMC Chief Medical Officer Dr. Donald Yealy said in a statement to KDKA.

KDKA reached out to Allegheny Health Network for comment, but did not hear back by Friday night.