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At last week’s meeting, ACIP (the federal vaccine advisory committee) voted to change its longstanding recommendation that all children receive the hepatitis B vaccination at birth; for children born to mothers who test negative for hepatitis B, the committee now recommends parents consult with their doctor regarding vaccination—vaccination at birth is still recommended for all children born to mothers who test positive for the infection or whose status is unknown.

In a leaked memo, the FDA’s Director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) claimed that the Covid vaccine caused child deaths, raising concerns among experts; evidence to support this claim has not yet been shared; during the Thursday-Friday meeting, ACIP is expected to consider whether to delay the recommended hepatitis B birth dose—an independent review found this would offer no increase in safety or protection.

Under HHS Secretary Kennedy’s direction, the CDC changed language on its Autism and Vaccines webpage to imply a potential link between infant vaccines and autism; the move directly contradicts decades of scientific evidence, including analyses involving millions of children across the globe.

At the December meeting, ACIP—the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel—will revisit their discussion of delaying the hepatitis B vaccine, which is currently recommended for all infants at birth; ACIP is also set to discuss vaccine ingredients, likely including aluminum, which is used in many routine vaccines to boost immune response.

Canada and the entire Americas region lose measles elimination status following a year-long outbreak—the US could soon follow; leading medical organizations file an updated lawsuit against Kennedy over his overhaul of the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel and its subsequent policy decisions.

HHS undergoes further leadership changes at FDA and ASPR, reflecting broader internal tensions across the agency; new research underscores the safety and efficacy of vaccination against Covid, flu, and RSV, as well as the dangers of respiratory illnesses  

Senate HELP Committee set to hold confirmation hearing for Surgeon General nominee Casey Means on Thursday; NEJM and CIDRAP announced launch of new public health publication intended to serve as alternative to the CDC’s MMWR.

A new state coalition representing 1 in 3 Americans will coordinate disease prevention and response and work to ensure vaccine access; federal monitoring of infectious diseases remains paused amid government shutdown, leaving states with gaps in data and without guidance to address outbreaks.

ACIP plans to evaluate and potentially change the childhood vaccine schedule, though there is no evidence suggesting safety issues or other concerns; new polling found that public confidence in the CDC and its vaccine guidance has fallen to a record low.