CDC to recommend parent choice for hepatitis B vaccines for newborns 

Published December 4, 2025 9:50am ET



The vaccine advisory panel for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is poised to recommend that the federal government drop guidance that all children be vaccinated for hepatitis B at birth.

The action would be a notable break with precedent. Since 1991, the CDC has recommended a universal hepatitis B vaccination for all newborns within the first 24 hours of birth. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the expert panel that advises the agency on vaccines, is slated to recommend “individual-based decision-making, in consultation with a healthcare provider,” for parents to decide to give the birth dose of the vaccine for hepatitis B-negative mothers. A vote was scheduled for Thursday, but was later delayed to Friday.

Trusted reporting.Unlimited access.

Subscribe for full access to Washington Examiner coverage, expert political analysis, and subscriber-only journalism.

Get Unlimited Access

Already a member? Log in

Cancel anytime.