FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Doctors for America
PO Box: 21161
2300 18th St NW Lbby
Washington, DC 20009-9996
December 8, 2025
Doctors for America Response to the December 4-5, 2025 ACIP Meeting
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) met on December 4th and 5th to review recommendations for hepatitis B vaccination. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is the most common chronic viral infection in the world and the leading global cause of chronic liver disease and liver cancer. Up to 90% of children infected at birth will develop chronic HBV infection, and 1-in-4 chronically infected individuals will die prematurely due to the complications of this lifelong infection. HBV screening and prevention through vaccinations are essential for preventing infection, associated complications, and death. The HBV vaccine has proven safe over decades of use and saved countless lives.
We are deeply disappointed in ACIP’s votes to:
- Shift the universal HBV birth dose vaccine to an individual decision for infants born to mothers who test HBsAg-negative; and
- Delay the first vaccine dose to no earlier than two months of age in babies who do not receive the birth dose; and
- Consider use of antibody titres after the first dose to guide whether completion of the standard series is needed.
None of these changes are supported by scientific evidence.
Universal birth dosing has been a cornerstone of HBV prevention in the United States for over 40 years, with decades of evidence supporting its safety and efficacy. Despite substantial progress, HBV remains a serious public health threat in the United States (U.S.) While maternal screening reduces the risk of HBV transmission, no screening occurs in 15% of pregnancies. In the absence of established practices and strategies to improve maternal care access, the decision to defer or delay HBV vaccination will put children at risk of lifelong disease. Recent modeling studies have shown that delaying HBV vaccination from birth to 2 months could lead to at least 1,400 preventable HBV infections among children, 300 excess cases of liver cancer, 480 preventable deaths and over $222 million in excess healthcare costs each year.
Language that minimizes the real risk of HBV exposure to infants is dangerous and will deepen disparities among individuals and families with low income, difficulty accessing prenatal care, and/or who suffer health inequities. The U.S. has the worst maternal morbidity and mortality of its peer nations. These policies put the 1-in-4 pregnant people who do not receive adequate prenatal care and their newborns at increased risk of HBV transmission. Without access to universal healthcare, screen-and-vaccinate strategies will only worsen disparities in care and health outcomes in our most vulnerable populations. Copious high-quality evidence supports both the safety of the full HBV vaccine series and the value of universal birth dosing. The decision to delay the first dose of Hep B vaccine to 2 months in babies who do not receive the birth dose is without basis in sound theory or research. The proposal that antibody titres could guide the number of doses in the hepatitis B vaccine series is a product of pure speculation about the immunological adequacy of intermediate vaccinations.
We call on the Centers for Disease Control to reject these recommendations. Vaccine guidance must be based on data, not opinions and political motivations; it is the responsibility of health leaders to guide with science, not fear. The consequence of today’s decision is unnecessary suffering, illness, and death for decades to come.
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About Doctors for America
Doctors for America (DFA) is a national nonprofit that mobilizes over 40,000 physicians and medical trainees to advocate for policies that improve the health of patients and communities. Through advocacy training and action at the state and federal levels, DFA works to expand access to affordable care, strengthen community health and prevention efforts, and advance health justice and equity. We do not accept funding from pharmaceutical, insurance, or for-profit health care entities, ensuring our work remains fiercely independent and patient-centered. DFA puts patients over politics—and over profits. Find out more at doctorsforamerica.org and on Twitter drsforamerica or Bluesky drsforamerica.bsky.social.