By Mariam Sunny
Dec 4 (Reuters) – Vaccine advisers to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will vote on whether to scrap a broad recommendation for the hepatitis B vaccine for children on Thursday, leaving the choice to parents, marking the most significant shift in U.S. vaccination policy yet under the health secretary.
The US vaccine panel has proposed that only infants born to mothers who test positive for hepatitis B would be recommended to get the vaccine.
It suggested that for all other newborns, the decision be left to parents, in consultation with their healthcare provider, For those who choose to vaccinate against hepatitis B, it recommended they not do so before two months of age.
The advisers will also vote on a second proposal that would consider the need for subsequent hepatitis B vaccine doses, recommending parents and providers to test whether a child has already reached protective antibody levels before getting another shot.
The hepatitis B vaccine is currently recommended for all U.S. children as a three-dose vaccine, with the first given within 24 hours of birth. The subsequent doses at 1 to 2 months and 6 to 18 months are generally administered as part of combination shots to prevent other diseases like polio and pertussis.
Kennedy, a long-time anti-vaccine activist before becoming the nation’s top health official, has made sweeping policy changes. They include dropping broad recommendations for Americans to get COVID-19 shots, recommending a split of the measles-mumps-rubella shot from varicella for those under age 4, adding new requirements for vaccine trials and cutting funds for mRNA-based vaccines.
(Reporting by Mariam Sunny in BengaluruEditing by Caroline Humer, Michael Erman, Bill Berkrot and Shinjini Ganguli)
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