Senator Cassidy Warns Against Changing Hepatitis B Vaccine Schedule

In the coming weeks, a key advisory panel is set to meet and discuss potential changes to the hepatitis B vaccine schedule for infants. However, Senator Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican who chairs the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, has voiced strong concerns about this proposed change.

Cassidy, who is also a physician, has emphasized the importance of maintaining the current hepatitis B vaccine recommendations. He notes that due to the recommended dose at birth, the incidence of chronic hepatitis B has decreased by 20,000 people over the last two decades. "The vaccine is safe. It has been established," Cassidy stated, adding that the proposed changes are being considered by "people who don't understand the epidemiology of hepatitis B."

The Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices, a panel of experts who advise the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on vaccine recommendations, is scheduled to meet in early December. The draft agenda for the meeting includes discussions and potential votes on the hepatitis B vaccine schedule.

Cassidy has previously weighed in on the panel's activities, calling for postponements of vaccine meetings earlier this year. He has publicly disagreed with the administration's top health official, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., on some vaccine-related matters, though the two have also found common ground on other health issues.

As the advisory panel prepares to convene, Senator Cassidy remains steadfast in his position, emphasizing the need to maintain the successful hepatitis B vaccine recommendations that have significantly improved public health outcomes.