Trump hails CDC’s plan to end Hepatitis B vaccine for babies as ‘very good decision’

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump on Friday praised a controversial decision by a vaccine advisory panel, calling their recent vote on newborn hepatitis B vaccination a "very good decision.” The move represents a major shift in US childhood immunization policy and drew criticism from health experts and medical organizations.

Donald Trump's post about the ACIP vote

In a post on Truth Social on the night of December 5, Trump praised a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) panel’s vote to change guidance for hepatitis B vaccinations as a “very good decision.”

“Today, the CDC Vaccine Committee made a very good decision to END their Hepatitis B Vaccine Recommendation for babies, the vast majority of whom are at NO RISK of Hepatitis B, a disease that is mostly transmitted sexually or through dirty needles,” Trump wrote.

“The American Childhood Vaccine Schedule long required 72 ‘jabs’ for perfectly healthy babies, far more than any other country in the world, and far more than is necessary. In fact, it is ridiculous!” he added.

“Many parents and scientists have been questioning the efficacy of this ‘schedule,’ as have I,” Trump continued. “That is why I have just signed a Presidential Memorandum directing the Department of Health and Human Services to ‘FAST TRACK’ a comprehensive evaluation of vaccine schedules from other countries and better align the US schedule, so it is finally rooted in the gold standard of science and common sense!”

CDC panel's decision and public health concerns

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), a key CDC advisory panel, voted 8-3 in favor of lifting the recommendation that all newborns receive the hepatitis B vaccination at birth.

ACIP now advises “individual-based decision-making” for parents deciding when or if to give the HBV vaccine to infants born to HBsAg-negative mothers.

The vote drew criticism from health experts, including a trustee of the American Medical Association, who warned that it may result in fewer infants receiving the previously recommended vaccinations. Currently, infants typically receive three shots for full immunization: one at birth, another at three months, and a final shot between six and 15 months.

What comes next, and the policy context

The ACIP’s recommendation will only take effect if formally approved by the acting CDC director.

Both Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have expressed skepticism toward vaccines in the past. The panel’s vote represents the most significant proposed change to the US childhood vaccination schedule under the current administration.