Health and Human Services Secretary RFK Jr. Alters Hepatitis B Vaccine Recommendation, Raising Public Health Concerns
A vaccine advisory panel led by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has voted to end the longstanding recommendation for hepatitis B vaccinations for all newborns. This decision, seen as a victory for RFK Jr., has sparked significant debate among health experts. The panel's recommendation, which is advisory in nature, suggests delaying the birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine, allowing parents to choose whether to administer it within 24 hours of birth or delay it until at least two months later. This change has raised concerns among public health experts who warn that it could reverse decades of progress in controlling hepatitis B infections. The advisory panel's decision must still be reviewed by the CDC director and could influence state-level vaccine policies. 
