Experts appointed by Donald Trump's vaccine-skeptic Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. are meeting Thursday to discuss the vaccination of newborns against hepatitis B, which they are considering postponing against the advice of many doctors.
This group, which is meeting for two days of discussions in Atlanta, in the southeastern United States, had already made minor changes in September to vaccination recommendations on Covid-19 and measles, and could this time decide on more substantial changes.
Now composed of individuals chosen by the minister and many of whom have been criticized by the scientific community for their lack of expertise in the field, this Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has initiated a broad review of the safety of several vaccines, some of which have been used for decades.
This initiative worries the American medical community, which fears a move to restrict access to vaccines, even as the country's vaccination rates have been declining since the pandemic and raises fears of the return of deadly contagious diseases, such as measles, which caused several deaths in 2025.
"Any change that ACIP brings will certainly not be based on facts or evidence, but rather on ideology," warns Sean O'Leary, an infectious disease and pediatrics specialist, who denounces the lack of qualifications of the new members.
– First 24 hours –
Previously routine, its meetings have taken on new importance in this highly political context, especially as the group plans to vote this time on vaccination against hepatitis B, recommended in the country since 1991 for newborns, but criticized by anti-vax groups as well as by the Trump administration.
The American president himself, known for making assertions without scientific basis, had thus asserted in September that there was "no reason" to vaccinate a newborn in its first 24 hours of life because "hepatitis B is transmitted sexually", and had suggested "waiting until the baby is 12 years old and well developed".
These remarks were condemned by the medical community, which pointed out that newborns can be infected by their mothers during pregnancy or childbirth. It also warned that any delay, even of just a few weeks, would almost certainly lead to a drop in vaccination rates.
This comes as an analysis of more than 400 studies published this week by a team of researchers from the University of Minnesota concludes that there is no evidence to support the benefit of such a postponement.
– “More confidence” –
Hepatitis B is a viral liver disease that can be transmitted sexually and through blood, and it puts those affected at high risk of death from cirrhosis or liver cancer. "These are entirely preventable deaths," insists Mr. O'Leary.
The recommendations made by the committee are traditionally followed by federal authorities and dictate, in particular, whether or not vaccines are covered by certain insurance plans and vaccination programs. This is a significant detail in a country where the price of a single vaccine can reach several hundred dollars.
Nevertheless, the committee's influence has weakened considerably in recent months, after several American scientific institutions and states led by the Democratic opposition announced they would stop following its recommendations.
"The states are forming their own advisory committees because they don't trust anything that is happening under the leadership of Robert Kennedy Jr.," explains American pediatric infectious disease specialist Paul Offit to AFP.
The minister, who has long promoted conspiracy theories about vaccines, has indeed initiated a profound overhaul of American health agencies, firing renowned experts en masse and cutting funding for vaccine development.
And it could go even further by reforming vaccine approval procedures in the United States, according to an internal document from the Food and Drug Administration that was leaked a few days ago.
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