CDC Panel Postpones Vote on Hepatitis B Vaccines

During a chaotic meeting, the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel, recently restructured and now skeptical of vaccines, postponed a vote on hepatitis B vaccines due to confusion over voting language. The panel is considering changing long-standing guidance that newborns receive the vaccine within 24 hours of birth, a move opposed by public health experts. The meeting’s format and misleading claims raised concerns about the panel’s departure from scientific rigor. Critics, including health professionals and a senator, expressed that the proceedings were politically motivated and detrimental to public health.