Federal panel drops universal newborn hepatitis B vaccine recommendation amid policy shift

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. moved closer to reshaping U.S. vaccine policy as a federal advisory panel voted to overturn the longstanding recommendation that all newborns receive the hepatitis B vaccine at birth. For decades, the guidance has been credited with reducing adult infection rates by 99%. The new recommendation emphasizes informed consent, limiting vaccination at birth to infants of mothers who test positive for the virus.