Eder Peralta

So let's start with an explanation of what exactly happened yesterday.

Sure.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted to abandon one of the nation's most effective vaccination policies, a recommendation that all children get vaccinated against hepatitis B within the first 24 hours of life.

This has been U.S.

policy for more than 30 years and is responsible for a dramatic plunge in hepatitis B infections in this country.

That's protected countless babies from getting a chronic liver infection that can lead to liver failure, liver cancer, and premature death.

I can't help but ask, why?

I mean, why would the CDC committee endorse this?

Well, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has long campaigned against vaccines, essentially stacked this committee with like-minded members.

And many of them question whether vaccinating children against hepatitis B when they're so young is really necessary.

They also question whether it's safe to give newborn babies this shot so early in life.

Here's how new committee member Retsef Levy, a professor of operations management at MIT, put it.

The committee recommended that only babies born to mothers who test positive for the virus or whose status is unknown routinely get vaccinated at birth.

Those who test negative should talk to their doctor.

And what's been the reaction to this change?

Most public health experts are horrified, frankly.

They say there's overwhelming evidence that the vaccine is safe for newborns and babies can catch the virus even if their mothers aren't infected.

Here's Dr. Joseph Hiblin, another member of the committee who voted against the change.

And for that reason, we have a very high bar before we make any changes to the current program.

And he and other members are worried that other changes may be in the works.