Rep. Bera, Democratic Doctors Caucus Condemn Dangerous ACIP Decision to Stop Recommending Birth Dose of Hepatitis B Vaccine

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Representative Ami Bera, M.D. (CA-06) and members of the Democratic Doctors Caucus released a statement following the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices' (ACIP) decision to no longer recommend the birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine:

"The Democratic Doctors Caucus unequivocally condemns the decision to end the decades-long standard practice of vaccinating every newborn against hepatitis B. Today's decision-made without any scientific justification that a newborn dose is unsafe-will lead to more disease, more cancer, more preventable deaths, and will further increase the cost of health care in our nation. We call on Acting CDC Director O'Neill to reject this recommendation. The Democratic Doctors Caucus will keep up our fight against this Administration's continued attacks like this on basic science and do all we can to protect the health and well-being of the American people."