RFK Jr ready to make major changes to when children get vaccines including delaying shots for newborns: report
RFK Jr vaccine committee likely to delay shots for newborns
- An advisory panel appointed by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is scheduled to vote on potentially delaying the hepatitis B vaccine dose recommended for newborns.
- Kennedy, a known vaccine sceptic, replaced the previous 17-member panel with a group that includes several anti-vaccine voices, raising concerns among health experts.
- Experts warn that misinformation from the panel's meeting, set for 4 December, could lead parents to believe the hepatitis B vaccine is harmful to babies.
- Hepatitis B is a highly contagious disease that can cause severe liver damage, with the vaccine being 90 percent effective if administered within 24 hours of birth.
- Medical professionals emphasise the critical importance of the birth dose, stating that delaying it could result in the infection becoming established in a baby's liver, leading to severe consequences.