During Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s confirmation hearing on Thursday, GOP Sens. Bill Cassidy and Rand Paul engaged in a debate regarding the administration of the hepatitis B vaccine to newborns, shedding light on differing perspectives on vaccination protocols.
Paul, a former ophthalmologist, contended that newborns did not necessarily require immediate hepatitis B vaccination after birth. In contrast, Cassidy, a former gastroenterologist who spearheaded a program that vaccinated 36,000 children against hepatitis B, emphasized the importance of the vaccine.
Paul argued that administering the vaccine was only crucial if the mother was infected with hepatitis B. Cassidy countered by stating that often the mother's hepatitis B status is unknown, making immediate vaccination essential. He highlighted that vaccinating infants on the first day of life can prevent chronic hepatitis B in 95% of cases.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all infants receive a hepatitis B vaccine dose at birth, irrespective of the birth parent's hepatitis B status. In 2021, nearly 18,000 infants were born to hepatitis B-positive individuals in the US, accounting for almost 0.5% of all births. Without vaccination, most infants born to hepatitis B-positive individuals are at risk of infection, with approximately one-fourth facing the possibility of succumbing to chronic liver disease.
