U.S. vaccine advisers drop plan for hepatitis B vote

Atlanta (Reuters) – Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. On Friday, a renewed US vaccination consultants panel decided not to continue with a plan planned to postpone the dose of the first Hepatitis B vaccine for newborn.

It was not clear how the committee would progress in the future.

On Thursday, the group advised the Disease Control and Prevention Centers in the US vaccination programs, discussing the country’s assignment of babies at birth and led to a dramatic decrease in disease rates for more than three years.

Although many committees supported the change during this discussion, medical experts and patient defenders warned that they would leave babies vulnerable to the disease during the public interpretation period.

Some committees have created new concerns about some data CDC, which was presented early on Friday, and wanted to extend the suggestions from a month to 2-3 months. During the debate on Thursday, it was not clear how the one -month criterion was chosen.

Infectious disease epidemiologist in Uthealth Houston Catherine Troisi said that the US birth dose policy has a 97% decrease in acute hepatitis B among Americans under 19 years of age.

The panel takes into account the changes in Covid vaccine recommendations

However, the panel unanimously voted for all pregnant women to propose universal hepatitis B test. The meeting will then take into account the updates under Covid-19 vaccine guidance.

The votes came as the Advisory Committee (ACIP) for a second meeting, emphasizing deep sections on the future of US vaccination programs under the direction of Kennedy, which has been supporting allegations about vaccine losses about vaccine damages that are contrary to scientific evidence.

On Thursday, the panel rejected the use of combined measles-blabes-bridalla-Varicella in children under four years of age and showed a small increase in the risk of seizure, instead of selected separate doses.

Committee member explains the risk calculation vs risk calculation

CDC experts applying at the meeting, 12% of pregnant women in the United States, stating that the Hepatitis B test records, hepatitis B vaccine, advocated the long -standing policy.

Panel member pediatrician Cody Meissner warned that delaying the birth dose may “increase the risk of damage based on benefit of benefit”. Although no vaccine is completely risk -free or completely effective, clinicians should weigh the benefits against potential side effects.

“For the newborn hepatitis B vaccine, there is no doubt that protective benefits will outweigh more than possible risks.” He said.

ACIP, which was re -created by Kennedy this year, contains several members who have previously expressed concerns about routine vaccines. Kennedy also directed wider policy changes, cut routine Covid-19 shots for children and pregnant women, and stopped approximately $ 500 million in MRNA projects. Five of the members started their conditions on Monday.

(Reporting by Mrinalika Roy in Bengaluru, Mariam Sunny and Michael Erman;