By Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) warned of the risk of Hepatitis B infection in infants on Wednesday, ahead of a meeting of a federal vaccine advisory panel during which changes to the current immunization schedule for the virus are expected to be discussed and voted on.
Cassidy, chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), said during his closing remarks at a hearing with former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) leaders, spoke out against a recommendation to no longer vaccinate newborns against Hepatitis B.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) at the CDC is scheduled to discuss and vote on Hepatitis B vaccines Thursday. The questions on the docket have not been publicly released.
“One thing that … reportedly is going to be discussed at the upcoming ACIP meeting is ending the recommendation for the birth dose of Hepatitis B vaccine,” Cassidy said.
NPR on Tuesday reported suspicions by former agency officials that the ACIP plans to recommend delaying Hepatitis B vaccinations.
“Why should a child be vaccinated for a sexually transmitted disease when they’re at birth? The child passes through the birth canal and is exposed to the same secretions of one would otherwise,” Cassidy stated.
“And that passage through the birth canal makes that child vulnerable to the virus being transmitted, not just Hepatitis B, it can be HIV, it can be other things,” he continued. “But in terms of Hepatitis B, that happens. If that child is infected at birth, more than 90 percent of them develop chronic, lifelong infection.”
He also noted how newborn Hepatitis B infections dropped by nearly 70 percent after the vaccine was approved.
“Now, fewer than 20 babies per year get Hepatitis B from their mother. That is an accomplishment to make America healthy again,” the Louisiana Republican added.
Cassidy, a hepatologist, has frequently spoken in support of vaccinations against Hepatitis B. During one of the confirmation hearings for Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the senator recalled an 18-year-old patient he once had who suffered from Hepatitis B-induced liver failure that could have been prevented with immunization.
“Since then, I try to do everything I can to make sure I never have to speak to another parent about their child dying due to a vaccine preventable disease,” Cassidy said.
Following the hearing, the senator was asked by reporters if Americans should have confidence in changes to the Hepatitis B vaccine schedule recommendations.
“No, because this data clearly shows that when you give the mother an option, it’s not a mandate,” he responded.
“You give the mother the option, and if she has that option, she can elect to have her child vaccinated,” Cassidy continued. “And we’ve shown that as I quoted the data, I mean, we have decreased from 20,000 kids a year getting Hepatitis B to like 20 a year. That’s exponential decline.”
If ACIP follows through on recommending a delay to Hepatitis B vaccinations, Cassidy recommended that parents speak with their physicians but maintained his belief that a delay would worsen health.
“Of course, the challenge of this is that insurance won’t cover it, so it becomes a financial hardship,” he said. “And then I can’t answer that, because you always have to balance a patient’s pocketbook with her health.”
“Now, if the child gets vaccinated at age four, most likely and today, because of our success in preventing hepatitis B, the child will be okay, but I can promise you, there will be some Hepatitis B transmission,” the lawmaker added.