FDA commissioner questions need for hepatitis B shot for newborns

During a Fox News interview with Martha MacCallum, FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary acknowledged that while vaccines save lives, not all should be treated the same. He argued that the evidence for an immediate hepatitis B vaccine at birth is less clear than for other shots like measles or polio.

“I personally don’t believe that the evidence is solid to say the hep B shot needs to be given at birth,” Makary said on Monday. “It’s a sexually transmitted infection you’re trying to prevent. Kids are not sexually active until they are of age, so a lot of parents say I will wait until they are 10, 11, or 12. If the mom is hep B positive, that is different, but these are nuanced issues.”

“We

Continue reading