Reps. Chu and Schrier Secure GAO Study on Hepatitis B Birth-Dose Vaccine Recommendation

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Reps. Judy Chu (CA-28) and Kim Schrier, M.D. (WA-08) welcomed the Government Accountability Office's (GAO) decisionto conduct a comprehensive study on the impacts of eliminating the universal hepatitis B birth-dose recommendation.

On December 16, 2025, Reps. Chu and Schrier led 108 of their Democratic colleagues in a letterto GAO requesting this study after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), appointed by Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., voted 8-3 to eliminate the long-standing recommendation.

The GAO study will examine the public health, economic, and equity implications of eliminating the universal hepatitis B birth-dose recommendation. As part of its review, GAO will assess projected public health outcomes, including increased infant infections and long-term conditions such as liver disease and cancer; equity impacts, particularly for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities; and economic effects, including costs to Medicaid and Medicare and any expected changes in cost-sharing for families who choose to continue vaccinating their newborns under the prior standard; and an evaluation of ACIP's evidence and decision-making process.

"I am thrilled that the Government Accountability Office accepted my request to conduct this important study on the public health, equity, and economic impacts of eliminating the hepatitis B birth-dose recommendation," said Rep. Chu. "For more than thirty years, doctors, public health officials, and the scientific community have agreed that hepatitis B vaccines are safe and essential to protecting infants from serious illness. These vaccines are especially crucial for our Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander community, who make up only 7% of the U.S. population, yet account for 60% of chronic hepatitis B cases. I look forward to reviewing the findings of this study, and I will continue working to ensure that decisions affecting the health and safety of infants and families are guided by science, evidence, and public health expertise."

"RFK Jr.'s handpicked Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices' (ACIP) decision to roll back the recommendation that all newborns receive the hepatitis B vaccine at birth is rooted in reckless conspiracy theories, not science," said Congresswoman Schrier, M.D. "I'm glad to see that the GAOhas accepted our request to study the widespread impacts of the decision, and I will continue to fight against these dangerous moves that erode the foundation of our nation's public health and put the health of millions of Americans - particularly children - at risk."

The December 2025 letter was signed by Representatives Gabe Amo (RI-01), Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Jake Auchincloss (MA-04), Becca Balint (VT-AL), Nanette Barragán (CA-44), Joyce Beatty (OH-03), Wesley Bell (MO-01), Donald Beyer (VA-08), Brendan Boyle (PA-02), Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Troy Carter (LA-02), Sean Casten (IL-06), Kathy Castor (FL-14), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Gilbert Cisneros (CA-31), Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Herbert Conaway (NJ-03), Angie Craig (MN-02), Sharice Davids (KS-03), Danny Davis (IL-07), Suzan DelBene (WA-01), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Debbie Dingell (MI-06), Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07), Valerie Foushee (NC-04), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), John Garamendi (CA-08), Jesús García (IL-04), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), Daniel Goldman (NY-10), Adelita Grijalva (AZ-07), Jahana Hayes (CT-05), Steven Horsford (NV-04), Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Henry Johnson (GA-04), Robin Kelly (IL-02), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Greg Landsman (OH-01), John Larson (CT-01), George Latimer (NY-16), Summer Lee (PA-12), Ted Lieu (CA-36), Stephen Lynch (MA-08), John Mannion (NY-22), Doris Matsui (CA-07), Lucy McBath (GA-07), April McClain Delaney (MD-06), Jennifer McClellan (VA-04), Betty McCollum (MN-04), Robert Menendez (NJ-08), Grace Meng (NY-06), Kweisi Mfume (MD-07), Dave Min (CA-47), Kelly Morrison (MN-03), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Kevin Mullin (CA-15), Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Chris Pappas (NH-01), Scott Peters (CA-50), Brittany Pettersen (CO-07), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Mike Quigley (IL-05), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Deborah Ross (NC-02), Raul Ruiz (CA-25), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Linda Sánchez (CA-38), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Janice Schakowsky (IL-09), Bradley Schneider (IL-10), Terri Sewell (AL-07), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Adam Smith (WA-09), Darren Soto (FL-09), Greg Stanton (AZ-04), Marilyn Strickland (WA-10), Thomas Suozzi (NY-03), Eric Swalwell (CA-14), Mark Takano (CA-39), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Bennie Thompson (MS-02), Mike Thompson (CA-04), Dina Titus (NV-01), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Jill Tokuda (HI-02), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Norma Torres (CA-35), Ritchie Torres (NY-15), Lori Trahan (MA-03), Derek Tran (CA-45), Juan Vargas (CA-52), Marc Veasey (TX-33), Nydia Velázquez (NY-07), James Walkinshaw (VA-11), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), George Whitesides (CA-27), and Nikema Williams (GA-05).

Full text of the Members' December 205 letter is available hereand text of the GAO's acceptance letter is available here.