WASHINGTON, DC- Today, Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-1) called on CDC Acting Director O’Neill to express his urgent concern regarding the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) decision to change the hepatitis B vaccine recommendations for children.

The full letter can be found here and below: 

December 5, 2025
The Honorable Jim O’Neill
Acting Director
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Road NE
Atlanta, GA 30329

Dear Director O’Neill:

I write to you to express my urgent concern regarding the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) decision to change the hepatitis B vaccine recommendations for children.

Since 1991 the CDC has recommended all infants receive a dose of the hepatitis B vaccine at birth. The decision made on December 5th to overturn this longstanding recommendation by ACIP endangers children across our country and is an affront to our scientific community. Dangerously, this decision will erode critical public trust in medicine and public health experts, putting lives at risk and ultimately failing our children.

Since adoption of the recommendation of the birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine, overall cases of hepatitis B are down to 14,000 annually.1 This figure was previously between 200,000 to 300,000 cases annually.2 The strategy of recommendation at birth is effective. Fewer infant cases of hepatitis B importantly leads to fewer cases of chronic hepatitis B, cirrhosis, and fewer cases of liver cancer, for which there is no cure. Overturning this recommendation and changing the vaccine schedule would be mishandling safe, evidence-based public health information.

I urge you to reject the recommendation from ACIP and retain the current evidence-based approach to the hepatitis B vaccine schedule. I am also requesting answers to the following questions by December 23, 2025:

1. What are the anticipated increases in infant infections of hepatitis B, as well as chronic liver disease and cancer, with a change in recommendation?

2. Can you provide details surrounding ACIP’s decision-making process?

3. What are the potential economic impacts to health systems who may increasingly face higher cases of infant hepatitis B and chronic liver disease?

Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter. I look forward to your prompt response.

Sincerely,
Brian Fitzpatrick
Member of Congress
Cc: Secretary Kennedy, Department of Health and Human Services