Rep. Chu Condemns CDC Panel’s Vote to End Universal Newborn Hepatitis B Vaccination
A CDC advisory panel’s recent decision to eliminate the universal recommendation for newborns to receive the hepatitis B vaccine has drawn sharp criticism from Congresswoman Judy Chu, who represents Pasadena and surrounding communities. The move, approved by an 8-3 vote of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, threatens to reverse decades of progress in preventing a potentially devastating disease, according to the California representative.
Concerns Over Public Health Impact
“Doctors, public health officials, and the scientific community agree that the Hepatitis B vaccine is safe, effective, and essential to protecting infants from a virus that can silently lead to lifelong liver disease, cirrhosis, and cancer,” Chu stated in a release issued from Washington, D.C. “Changing this policy is reckless and dangerous. It will make America sicker.” The congresswoman, a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee and Chair Emerita of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, emphasized the broad medical consensus supporting the vaccine’s continued use.
Disproportionate Impact on AAPI Communities
Chu specifically warned that the policy change would disproportionately affect Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities. These communities, while representing only 7% of the U.S. population, account for a staggering 60% of chronic hepatitis B cases. Approximately 1 in 12 Asian Americans currently lives with the infection, often without knowing it, making universal newborn vaccination a critical preventative measure.
“This decision will also disproportionally impact the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander community,” Chu explained. “Abandoning this standard will reverse decades of progress and widen racial health disparities that we have spent generations trying to close.”
Calls for Rejection of Recommendations
The congresswoman underscored the overwhelming scientific evidence supporting the vaccine and the potentially severe consequences of abandoning the current standard. “The science is clear, the medical consensus is overwhelming, and the stakes for families could not be higher,” she asserted.
In a direct appeal to the CDC, Chu urged Acting Director Jim O’Neill to reject the recommendations. “I strongly urge Acting CDC Director Jim O’Neill to reject these irresponsible recommendations and maintain the evidence-based universal standard to protect the health and well-being of all Americans,” she concluded. The future of the universal newborn hepatitis B vaccination program now rests with the CDC Director’s decision, a move closely watched by public health officials and community leaders nationwide.
