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CDC Reverses Hepatitis B Vaccination Guidance for Newborns

12/20/2025

Summary

Story summary

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reversed its universal hepatitis B vaccination guidance for newborns and now tells parents to consult healthcare providers for infants born to hepatitis B-negative mothers.
The decision was influenced by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s panel.
Health experts warn the change could raise preventable hepatitis B infections and erode decades of prevention.
The policy shift departs from established medical practices since 1991.

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Story summary

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reversed its universal hepatitis B vaccination guidance for newborns and now tells parents to consult healthcare providers for infants born to hepatitis B-negative mothers.
The decision was influenced by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s panel.
Health experts warn the change could raise preventable hepatitis B infections and erode decades of prevention.
The policy shift departs from established medical practices since 1991.