In a heated and contentious session, the vaccine advisory panel of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) opted on Thursday to postpone a critical decision regarding the hepatitis B vaccination for infants. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) found itself at an impasse, leading to a motion for delay that passed by a vote of six to three. This decision was made to allow further scrutiny of the proposal’s language before any formal vote takes place.

The meeting saw intense debate over potentially restricting access to the hepatitis B vaccine for newborns. Such a move would mark a significant shift from the long-standing practice of administering this safe and effective vaccine, which has been routinely given for decades. Throughout the meeting, no new evidence was presented to suggest any harm from the vaccine, which boasts a remarkable safety record after being administered to 1.4 billion individuals over more than 30 years. Currently, the vaccine is routinely offered to all infants at birth.

Tensions ran high as certain committee members demanded evidence of harm while underscoring the vaccine’s well-documented benefits. However, their remarks were frequently interrupted by the vice-chair presiding over the meeting. Notably, several advisers, selected by the controversial health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during Donald Trump’s administration, have been known for their anti-vaccine stance.

This decision to delay the vote on the hepatitis B vaccine follows previous controversial recommendations by the same advisers. These past suggestions included restrictions on access to Covid-19 vaccines, as well as those for measles, mumps, rubella, and chickenpox. Such recommendations have previously complicated the landscape for families and healthcare providers trying to make informed decisions about vaccinations.

Two members demanded evidence of any harm from the vaccine while pointing to its benefits, while the vice-chair running the meeting at times interrupted their comments. Several of the advisers, who were all hand-picked by Donald Trump’s controversial health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, are longtime anti-vaccine advocates.

The aborted vote on the hepatitis B shot, which is an extremely safe and very effective vaccine, follows previous meetings where advisers recommended restricting access to Covid vaccines and also measles, mumps and rubella and chickenpox vaccines – moves that made it more difficult for families and providers to understand their options.

Kennedy, a prominent anti-vaccine activist, has long pushed for delaying the shot. Experts say any change to the current hepatitis B vaccination recommended schedule could have significant and far-reaching consequences for childhood health in the US.

The leadership of the ACIP was shaken up earlier this week, with the previous chair, Martin Kulldorff, moving to the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

The new chair is Kirk Milhoan, a pediatric cardiologist who has advocated against Covid vaccines and promoted the use of ivermectin, an ineffective medication against parasites.

According to a study published in 2023 in the official journal of the US surgeon general, there was a 99% decline in reported cases of acute hepatitis B among children, adolescents and young adults between 1990 and 2019 as a direct result of infant immunization.

In September, the panel voted to change US vaccine policy and start recommending that children receive multiple vaccines to protect against measles, mumps and rubella and chickenpox, instead of a single vaccine that can protect against all four diseases. The following day, the panel voted against recommending that people obtain a prescription for a Covid-19 vaccine.

The advisory panel can only make recommendations to the head of the CDC, acting director Jim O’Neill. The previous director, Susan Monarez, was ousted by the Trump administration in August after the White House claimed she was “not aligned” with the president’s agenda.

Childhood immunization rates continue to fall across the United States, amid a rise in vaccine hesitancy exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic. In 2025, the US has been among dozens of countries that reported large measles outbreaks.