Larson Secures Independent Review of Dangerous RFK Jr. Hepatitis B Vaccine Restrictions

Washington, D.C. - Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) announced the launch of a Government Accountability Office (GAO) independent reviewof Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s vaccine panel decisionto stop recommending Hepatitis B immunizations for newborns.

"Since the minute he took office, Secretary Kennedy has put his anti-vaccine conspiracies above the health of our nation's children," said Larson. "The Hepatitis B vaccine is one of the most effective public health interventions in our nation's history, contributing to a 99 percent decline in childhood cases since 1991. Kennedy's panel of conspiracy theorists is ignoring that track record, instead trying to impose baseless restrictions that will only further imperil the progress we've made against preventable diseases. I am pleased to announce that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has taken up our request for an independent review of this decision. I look forward to a full investigation and real action from Congress to protect our kids from these dangerous policies."

After Secretary Kennedy dismissed all 17 membersof the federal vaccine advisory panel, replacing public health experts with anti-vaccine conspiracists, his committee reversed decades-long guidancefor newborns to receive Hepatitis B vaccinations, as well as recommendations for childrento be immunized against RSV, influenza, and Hepatitis A.

Following the new Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices' (ACIP) December vote on Hepatitis B, Larson sent a letterto the independent Government Accountability Office (GAO) with Reps. Judy Chu (CA-28), Kim Schrier (WA-08), and a group of their Democratic colleagues, requesting an evaluation of the public-health, economic, and equity impacts of Secretary Kennedy's anti-science recommendation.

"The vote to abandon this universal standard raises profound concerns about the health and safety of newborns nationwide," the lawmakers wrote. "Because early-life infection is significantly more likely to become chronic and lead to cirrhosis or liver cancer, maintaining the birth-dose is essential for preventing disproportionate and preventable harm in these communities. Given the significance of this policy change, we respectfully request that GAO evaluate several key issues."

The lawmakers requested the following from GAO:

1. An assessment of the projected public-health impacts of eliminating the universal birth-dose recommendation,

1. an examination of the economic and health-system effects of the policy change,

1. an evaluation of the reliability and limitations of maternal hepatitis B testing,

1. and a review of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices' (ACIP) process and evidence base in reaching its vote, including the scientific analyses used, adherence to established CDC scientific-review standards, and consultation with pediatric and infectious-disease experts.