Last Friday, the Centers for Disease Control Vaccine Advisors changed the recommendation of a routine hepatitis be shot for all newborns,

a change widely viewed as a victory for Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Now, health experts warn the change could undo decades of public health improvements, and parents are left with unclear guidance.

Hello and welcome to USA Today's The Excerpt. I'm Dana Taylor. Today is Tuesday, December 9, 2025.

Joining me now to look at how this decision will affect children and families across the country

is USA Today Consumer Health Reporter, Ken Oltucker.

Thanks so much for joining me on the podcast, Ken.

Thanks for having me.

Ken, after a delay, the panel is now voted to end the recommendation for hepatitis B shots for all newborns.

In practical terms, what weight does that recommendation hold? Can parents still elect to have

their child vaccinated with the hepatitis B vaccine within 24 hours of birth?

Yes, it's an advisory committee that came up with this recommendation,

and it does hold significant weight, but this is an advisory committee, so it does not have

regulatory power. States control the regulatory power over vaccine schedules. They typically

can mandate, for instance, when a child is going to school,

that they have a certain number of vaccinations before they're allowed to attend school. There

are exemptions to that, like there can be religious exemptions or medical exemptions. In some states

have what they call personal beliefs exemptions. It has pretty significant sweeping impact

because states often listen to this advisory panel

when deciding their policy.

Now, I should say this is an advisory panel.

It first goes to the CDC director

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