ACIP Changes Hepatitis B Vaccine Recommendations: It’s About Time!

December 7th, 2025

Since 1991, all newborn US children were recommended by ACIP and the US CDC to receive the hepatitis B vaccine regardless of maternal hepatitis B status.  Two additional doses were recommended at two months and six months.

All that changed last week with ACIP voting to end the universal birth-dose recommendation for neonates born to hepatitis B-negative mothers.

This is the first time in over three decades that I can recall a change in the CDC recommended vaccine schedule where the vaccine schedule was reduced (slightly). 

This is a good change and long overdue.

A case can be made to immunize a newborn whose mother has an active case of hepatitis B.  However, what about the vast majority of newborns—>99%—whose mothers are negative for hepatitis B infection?

Babies born to hepatitis B-negative mothers are at extremely low risk for contracting hepatitis B.  Hep B is primarily transmitted through infected bodily fluids.  In the US, the most common route of transmission is by sexual contact among multiple partners, men having sex with other men, and injection drug use.

In 1991, the two hepatitis B vaccines for children were approved without the proper safety studies.  Engerex-B was licensed in 1989 based on three clinical studies with “147 healthy infants and children (up to 10 years of age) who were monitored for 5 days after each dose.[i]”   There was no control group. There was no placebo.  That’s it.  Five days. 

Recombivax HB was licensed after a clinical study that monitored safety for 5-7 days.[ii]  At least they went to seven days on this one. (Please add your own sarcasm here.)

These vaccines should not have been approved due to insufficient safety studies. No comparison placebo groups.  What happens if an adverse event happens on day 8?  Day 30? New drugs are studies for years before they are released, not a few days.

Conventional medicine is in an uproar over this change to the CDC childhood immunization schedule.  Every site is repeating the same mantra---the Hep B vaccines have been around for decades and are completely safe. This is a perfect example of both mis- and disinformation.

The hep b vaccines have not been studied appropriately for safety, therefore the statement ‘They are completely safe’ is ridiculous and not true.

The side effects of hep B vaccination include a febrile seizure risk of 1:1,300.  A fever in a newborn guarantees a neonatal ICU visit for a few days filled with antibiotics, antiviral medications and a lot of stress.

The hep B vaccine has been associated with neurodegenerative disorders such as Guillain-Barre syndrome, transverse myelitis, optic neuritis and MS.  A trial lasting a few days will never pick up any of these conditions as they are diagnosed in older individuals.

As of September 1, 2025, there have been 1058 claims for compensation filed in the federal vaccine compensation program for injuries and deaths following hep B injections.[iii]

The amount of aluminum in a hep B vaccine is 250ug. The newborn baby has underdeveloped kidney and liver organs and will not detoxify toxic substances as well as an older individual.  The amount of aluminum in a hep B vaccine is 75x greater than the maximum safe level of aluminum the bloodstream per day for 3.3kg infant.  This is derived from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR).[iv] 

Aluminum is a toxic metal that should not be injected into any living being, much less a newborn. There are multiple studies linking aluminum toxicity to a host of neurodegenerative disorders including autism, seizures, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson’s disease.  Aluminum toxicity has also been associated with kidney disease, bone disorders, and autoimmune diseases.

Aluminum is not the only toxic item in a hepatitis B vaccine which includes: Formaldehyde, polysorbate 20, and yeast particles—none of these items should ever be injected into a human much less a newborn.

Hepatitis B vaccination has efficacy.  It has decreased the incidence of acute hepatitis B infections.  That is a good thing.  However, over two decades of vaccinating every newborn has not significantly changed the prevalence of chronic hep B infections.[v]  Chronic hep B infection is the main danger of leading to liver diseases and death.

Only a small percentage of patients with Hep B will progress to a chronic infection. Most recover uneventfully and maintain full life-long immunity. 

Final Thoughts:

Like any medical intervention, there are positives and negatives to the hepatitis B vaccines.  If parents and patients were given full informed consent, they could make a reasonable decision on whether they want their child to receive this vaccine.  However, informed consent is rarely provided. What parents usually hear is mis-and disinformation such as, “The hepatitis B vaccine is completely safe without any side effects.”

Three cheers for ACIP for acknowledging the lack of safety studies on the hepatitis B vaccines. Three cheers for Secretary Robert F. Kennedy for finally putting the truth about childhood vaccines for all to see.  Three cheers for Aaron Siri, Del Bigtree and the Informed Consent Action Network (ICAN) for suing the CDC, HHS, FDA and the rest of the powers that be in order to put out sane and truthful information about vaccinations. 

Should your baby receive a hepatitis B vaccine at birth?  I don’t know why anyone would do that in a child whose mother does not have an active case of hepatitis B. 

 To All Our Health!

~DrB

[i] https://www.cdc.gov/acip/downloads/slides-2025-12-04-05/03-blaxill-Hepatitis-B-508.pdf

[ii] IBID.  https://www.cdc.gov/acip/downloads/slides-2025-12-04-05/03-blaxill-Hepatitis-B-508.pdf

[iii] https://drtenpenny.substack.com/p/the-beginning-of-the-unraveling?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=931759&post_id=180901629&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjozNDY5MTgyMywicG9zdF9pZCI6MTgwOTAxNjI5LCJpYXQiOjE3NjUwNTI2NzksImV4cCI6MTc2NzY0NDY3OSwiaXNzIjoicHViLTkzMTc1OSIsInN1YiI6InBvc3QtcmVhY3Rpb24ifQ.wZJHU2qly9_oTR6NSsLNcaTazWfUSBkk6XPHfldlHEs&r=knkdr&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email

[iv] https://physiciansforinformedconsent.org/aluminum-in-vaccines/

[v] https://www.hepatitisb.uw.edu/go/hbv/hbv-epidemiology/core-concept/all?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email