The First Shot: How a Quiet Policy Shift Could Leave Newborns Unprotected
The CDC's new hepatitis B guidance invites more than parental discretion. It invites risk, inequity, and a slow slide away from public health protections.
On December 5, 2025, something significant happened, but almost no one noticed.
The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted 8 to 3 to walk away from a longstanding recommendation that all U.S. newborns receive the hepatitis B vaccine within 24 hours of birth. Instead, under the new guidance, if a baby’s mother tests negative for h…
